


Enslaved To A Flame

by ShadowedSword13



Category: RWBY
Genre: Abusive Roman Torchwick, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Coco Adel, Crimes & Criminals, Dark, F/M, Feels, Flirty Coco Adel, Grimm Experiments, Hella Innocent, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Lack of Self-Preservation, Might have accidently made the MC an edgelord., Mute Neopolitan (RWBY), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Promise he gets better, Psychological Torture, Roman Torchwick Cheating Death, Roman Torchwick Crime Lord, Roman Torchwick Lives, Ruby is a ray of sunshine, Self-Harm, Shit gets dark hella fast, Tags Are Hard, Underage Smoking, ish., slightly cannon divergent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 55,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowedSword13/pseuds/ShadowedSword13
Summary: Roman has never had just one trick up his sleeve. With the stakes rising rapidly, he enlists his Ace. A man who is both an accomplished thief and assassin. His mission? Capture or kill Ruby Rose. His freedom is riding on this task, but innocent souls have a knack for shifting perspectives.And with Ozpin in the mix? There's no telling how mixed up Roman's assassin will get in a world of light and dark.Gets progressively darker as we go through the chapters.If I'm missing tags, let me know.
Relationships: Coco Adel/Fox Alistair, Original Character/Original Character, Qrow Branwen & Original Character(s), Team RWBY & Original Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Short Leash

**Author's Note:**

> This story is off of fanfiction.   
> The first couple chapters are rough, I'll freely say that. But starting around chapter 10 they're cleaned up and better.  
> Depending on how much response I get, I might go back and refresh somethings for clarity and just for my personal agenda.

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter One**

**Short Leash**

The cold bit at his shoulders, and burned against his lungs, like ice growing inside of his ribcage. He ignored it though, knowing that he simply should have taken the time to steal a thicker jacket or coat. He shifted his feet, widening his stance so his toes hung off the edge of the three story building he'd chosen as his watch point. He squatted down, not unlike a baseball catcher, a radio on his thigh and binoculars around his neck.

He pulled the binoculars, pilfered from some sports shop, to his eyes. He peered over the wrought iron fence surrounding the mansion in front of him, his seagreen eyes focusing on the lit bedroom window of the Carmine house. He had been surveying the place for a week now, learning their habits, their routines. Every guard placement, every member of the family's schedule, all for tonight's mission.

"In position." He whispered softly into the radio.

"The girl?" The man on the other line replied.

The boy ground his teeth, and took a moment to pull the annoyance out of his voice before he replied. "Yes. Third floor. The lit window. She'll be alone for another hour before anyone checks on her. Guard rotation will change out in ten minutes. That's your window." He whispered as evenly as he could into the radio.

His eyes pulled away from the binoculars, peering down into the street below. Years of working in the dark, and hours of painful training letting him pick out the vague shapes of the hit team. Roman Torchwick's personal gang of thugs, from his specialized unit, burst from the shadows.

They climbed over the vaulted fence, and under William's directions, avoided the guard team. Two of them were Faunus, and their night vision gave them an edge as they moved into position under the window. They were a distance away, and William couldn't pick them out perfectly in the night.

"You're clear." He spoke into the radio.

"Roger. Clear out. We'll handle extraction." They reported back.

The crunch of gravel was all he needed to know that someone was behind him. He dropped the radio, and his Aura uncoiled off his body in a split second. A wire flicked off his hand, wrapped around the radio as it fell, and caught it before it fell too far. His hands dropped to the silver hilt at his hip as he turned to face the noise.

His hand grasped the hilt, and he drew it quickly. It sliced through the belt loop he had dropped it in, but that didn't matter. His sword clashed harshly with a heavy cane. Steel against steel, the grating sound breaking the soft silence of the night. He ground his teeth as his attacker bore down on him, the shaft of a cane with a red accent at the end identified who it was.

"Roman." He snarled, just before the cane shifted, the barrel pointed in his face.

The explosion rocked his head back, but the dust round didn't kill him. It wasn't designed to, and he knew that. Instead he felt the drugs in it start to take effect, sapping his consciousness from him. He grimaced, knowing what waited for him when he woke up.

"William."

He woke with a start, his head snapping up, his limbs aching dully. He shifted, feeling the firm clasp of steel keeping him secured. His Aura pulsed brightly, and he let it uncoil off his body as he activated his semblance.

"Ah ah ah."

He looked up, barely picking up the silhouette of Roman Torchwick in the near dark room. The only light came from a weak light bulb in the far corner, doing its best to fill the room with light. Shadows remained despite its efforts, but Roman's white trench coat still let him pick him out from the darkness.

A moment later Torchwick helped him a bit more. He drew his lighter out while easing a cigar out of his pocket, and illuminated the space with a brilliant flame. Roman lit his cigar slowly, his emerald green eyes regarded him for a time before he snapped the lighter closed again. He took a puff on it, the smoldering end brightening his face for a fraction of a second.

Slender blue wires coiled around William's hands, twisting as he sent them around the cuffs that held him in place. This time he was ready as Roman's cane flicked up. His fingers worked rapidly, casting his wires out, weaving them together faster than any seamstress alive, his mind and fingers putting them in place as Roman squeezed the trigger.

The Dust round, an explosive one this time, exploded just out of the barrel. Roman staggered back, giving William a sneer as he adjusted and fired again.

The woven shield caught the first round, and then shifted, blocking each round before it could come close to him. William smirked and smoke clouded the room for a moment. Roman swiped at it impatiently, stalking forward until he was right in front of William.

This wasn't a torture session. Not this time. William smiled at him, his seagreen eyes lit up in amusement at Roman's disgruntled expression. A moment later it intensified as the steel restraints that kept him bolted to the wall fragmented, sliced into shards by the Aura Wires.

William stepped out of them, meeting Roman's gaze with one of his own as the crime lord regarded him. He was slightly taller than the crime lord, but that did little in the area of combat or intimidation. Roman could beat him in both of those categories. All he had to do was threaten to inject one thing into him and William would obey.

It didn't stop William from taking a swing at the man.

A right hook, aimed at Roman's jaw. He missed though, the crime lord knocking his fist aside with the butt of his cane. William turned with his punch and lashed out with his other arm. His forearm connected and the cigar spilled into the floor, burning brightly as it started to die. Roman's head recoiled, but William wasn't done yet. He kicked, his leg arching up even as Roman's cane swept around and hooked his planted foot.

Roman ducked under his kick, and in hindsight William realized he shouldn't ever aim higher than the chest. A moment later he was on the floor, and Roman was shaking his head at him.

"Persistent." Roman mused. "But you won't get me with that." He unhooked his cane from William's arm, turning away while pulling a new cigar out of his pocket. He always carried two when William was involved.

"I'll kill you yet." William hissed, his sea green eyes dark with hate.

Roman turned on him. "Don't test me boy." He spat. Even in the dim light William could see the threat on Roman's features.

Back to the table. Injections. Or worse, the lab. There could be more, William didn't want to know. He didn't want to let Roman know it terrified him either. That Roman had managed to break him long ago. That the rebellion was just a mask to hide his thoughts from the man. That every ruse he used, every time he attacked, he was terrified he'd end up back on that table, or back in that pit.

So William met his gaze with a fiery one as he got to his feet. Dusting his ratty clothes off as he glared at the man. Roman didn't react , but instead turned away having grown bored of the exchange and walked to the other end of the room.

The lights came on, giving William an excuse to blink and turn away, and allowing him to inspect the room. A basement, or a utility room, judging by the electrical panel on the wall. A collection of pipes ran up and down the opposite wall, and the steel door next to Roman seemed to be the only way out.

"You're almost out of debt." Roman remarked while lighting his new cigar, taking a slow puff before turning back to him. "And I have a job for you that'll knock the rest out."

For a moment he was terrified. What job? Where? What else did he have to do? Then he let the next mask slide over, smothering whatever morals his previous thoughts had held. A mission was a mission, no matter what it was. Roman didn't tolerate failure and William didn't like the consequences of it.

"What's the job?" William asked, preoccupying the rest of his thoughts with the door. His hand dropped to his belt, only to find his sword missing.

Fear ripped through his mind. Had Roman tossed it? No. He'd forged it himself, and Roman hadn't taken it from him before. Roman would return it. William knew he would. Roman was many things, but he didn't deprive his tools of their weapons. William included.

William reached the door, trying the knob. It stuck firmly, and William glanced back at Roman who seemed amused. Of course he locked it. He always locked it.

"Infiltration." Roman replied vaguely. "It'll be a dangerous one, unlike this past assignment."

"I was shot this past assignment." William reminded him pointedly while his Aura uncoiled off his body. Two wires appeared, one on each of his index fingers. He slipped them into the lock, concentrating as he played with the tumblers inside.

"That was your fault." Roman replied just as easily. It wasn't. Roman hadn't told him there was a man on the roof, and his first infiltration of the mansion had left him with a bullet wound in his leg, and another stain of red on his ledger.

"Did you get the girl?" William replied instead, changing the topic as the tumblers fell into place. He twisted the knob sharply and pulled the door open.

A warehouse interior layed beyond. Industrial lights cast out the shadows of the building in all but the corners. It was barren except for three crates left in the center of the room. Likely whatever equipment Roman deemed necessary for him during the mission. The wasn't a single soul in the room, just him and Roman.

No secondary sounds alerted him to anyone else. All he could hear was Roman calmly walking by, heading towards the crates. No guards except for Roman himself, and no one to witness the exchange. That's how Roman liked it. No witnesses to ever connect William to him.

As far as the Underground was concerned, William was a street thug for hire. just another blight of existence in the world. Something else that could be manipulated, used and cast aside. To Roman; however, he was a linchpin. William was his enforcer, his assassin, his thief, and his scout.

William surveyed the area one more time before joining Roman by the crates. He looked at the man, who nodded at the crates before he continued explaining William's mission.

"So…" Roman was stalling, leading up to something dramatic. William could hear it in his voice. "You'll be infiltrating Beacon Academy." William's head whipped around, his hands still on the clasps holding the first crate closed. Roman didn't seem to notice as he continued. "You'll fit right in, you're about that age anyway." He glanced at William, who looked like a common street urchin at this point.

His pitch black hair was matted with grime, maybe blood. Roman wasn't sure and wasn't about to ask. His face was unwashed and dirty as well. His shirt, a black V-neck, was torn and tattered. Dragging William to the warehouse probably hadn't helped, but Roman didn't care His jeans were in no better condition, and he stunk. In fact, he reeked of unwashed flesh, dirt, and oil.

"After a shower." Roman added, "So wait before you change."

William opened the first truck, and couldn't hold back the relief that washed over his features. His sword lay on top in a hard black wooden sheath. He picked it up and inspected the leather holster Roman had constructed for it. He drew the sword, tossing the sheath aside as he slipped the holster around his waist, and inspected the blade carefully.

There was neither a nick, or a blemish on the silver katana blade. He flipped it around, triggering its transformation. The weapon split vertically right up the edge of the blade. It spun in his hands, the hilt becoming the mid point as the limbs turned, leaving him with a slightly curved staff. the edges of the blades pointed out, creating a gentle curve towards the tips. He hummed softly, satisfied with its condition, and flipped it around again, and collapsed it back to its sword form before sliding it into the leather holster.

The next tools in the crate were a common thing for Roman to give him. A lockpick set, despite William being able to fashion it out of his Aura anytime he truly needed it. Plus using his Aura let him tease the tumblers better. The next was a scroll with black and red accents. Roman's color scheme.

Just another way for Roman to remind him that he owned him. In more ways than one.

The next item was a mystery to him. William picked both of them up, two identical daggers. They were metal with a light feel and heft to them, but lacked edges. Were they weapons?

"Aura Blades." Roman supplied, reaching out for one. "They're programmed to take whatever Aura you channel into it and turn it into a dagger." He explained.

William tossed him one, and as soon as he caught it the edge came to life with a buzzing red blade. William regarded the one in his hand, and with a subtle thought, the blade came to life just as Roman's did.

"They go hand in hand with your semblance." Roman explained. "I figured that once you got the hang of it, you could override the programming and use them for other purposes. A weapon of circumstance, if you will."

William took the other back from Roman, sliding both into his pocket for now. He'd play with them later, figure out how to adjust their usage later. He opened the next chest and found clothes inside. A welcome change, since he so desperately needed new clothes.

A long sleeved gray shirt, made out of a heavier fabric, but William could feel the subtle stretch and the way the material felt cool to his touch. It wouldn't be hot, but a regulating effect. keeping his temperature moderate unless it was extremely cold or hot. Next was a pair of black pants, looking similar to cargo pants with the assorted pockets on the sides. They were heavy as well. a dense material that William knew Roman made most of his clothes out of. It wasn't bulletproof, but it had some resistant to most types of Dust, and mitigated some damage without getting too bulky or weighty.

A coat accompanied all of this. a full length duster with three buttons on the chest, easily undone if it needed to be shed in a hurry. The hem was curious, bulkier than the rest of the coak, but William didn't stop to play with it. He set it aside, leaning over and peering into the crate.

"Boots?" William asked, reaching down into the bottom for the last object.

He picked them up, and smiled. Roman rarely gave him clothes, but he would provide boots whenever William needed them. Boots were more important to William than the rest of his clothing. There was just so much more possible with the right set of boots.

These were modeled after combat boots, a tough exterior, with a soft leather shell that would let Willaim bend and flex his toes. The toe treads were grooveless, a smooth rubber that helped William wedge them in little grooves in brick or cinder block. The middle was standard, but the back heel was special. It was a solid steel plate, that encompassed the entire back heel of the boot. Perfect for delivering brutal kicks, or a skid plate if need be.

"I know you love your boots kiddo." Roman smiled. "And if you pull this job off well, the whole job, then you're free to go."

William turned to him, setting the boots down by the new clothes, a combat uniform if he had to guess. He took a seat on the lip of the crate and met Romans gaze. "What's the job?"

Silence was his reply. Roman was examining him, seeing if anything was shaking him or gnawing at his bones. A minute passed and Roman's gaze held firm. It wasn't one of aggression, but an analytical one, as Roman gauged William's capabilities.

"It's a two parter really." Roman finally spoke. "But only the main part is important. the other is just a side job." Roman hesitated, as if contemplating it. "It comes second either way, so I don't care if you do that." He got up, strolling around him as he talked. "But first things first with it, I need you to infiltrate Beacon Academy. From there, we can work. But if you can't even get enrolled, then we'll have to work something else out. It would work best from inside." Roman explained.

"An extended infiltration." William broached the topic slowly while narrowing his eyes.

"You'll be formally enrolled in the school. For a few months." Roman explained, "enough to get the other pieces of this plan together, nothing more. I need you to simply… watch, and be ready. You'll have little things to do once you get settled in. One part of this is I need info. On every student, every team, at Beacon. Weapons, styles, semblances. My side job plays into that. You remember Little Red?"

William paused, familiar with the reference. Roman had come in a week or two ago ranting about some little girl in a red cape. He'd ignored him at the time, since he was on another mission for Roman at the time that involved stealing a difficult crystal from a rival crime lord.

"Yes. I am familiar."

"Her team is getting increasingly annoying. I need you to poke around, and if you can, recruit her. It's unlikely, but see if you can make it happen. She's meddled in my affairs more than once and I'm fed up with it. If you can't, kill her." Roman gave him a stern look.

"Typically you don't like me killing innocent schoolgirls." William pointed out, earning him a sharp glare, Roman's hand dipping into his pocket.

It was highly unlikely Roman would bother carrying around the drug. Highly unlikely that he even felt inclined to ever carry it around when it was so dangerous, leaving its victim incapacitated in a nightmare for so long. However, That didn't stop William from easing back and biting off another sly comment.

He'd tested Roman a bit too much. Roman liked a bit of play in their conversations, it kept him lively, But he didn't like a direct jab. That was crude, and Roman hated crude.

"Watch it." Roman warned, his hand drawing away from the pocket. "This mission can be postponed a week, it won't matter."

A vision of the week William spent strapped to the chair came to mind. He never screamed. Not because Roman told him to keep quiet, but because it was one of the few things he had managed to keep from Roman. He growled and snarled and spit cursed at him. But he didn't beg. He didn't scream. No matter how bad it hurt. Usually he'd just wish for death because that would be better than half of the things he'd done.

"Sorry." William whispered breathlessly, feeling every muscle in his body snap tight like a rope.

Roman kept his gaze level, then turned away. "Just keep that in mind. No matter what you do. I still own you. You're mine. Your father sold you to me. You are my property until you pay that back, and if you don't…" Roman trailed back purposefully. "I'll find you, And you'll pay it back in blood."

William simply nodded, gathering up what Roman had given him into a tight bundle. Roman headed out of the warehouse where a white sedan with tinted windows waited on them. Roman climbed into the back, and William followed him, glancing at the driver.

Neo sat at the wheel. a few books under her gave her the boost she needed to see over the steering wheel. William resisted the urge to point that out as she put the car into gear.

Few people in Roman's organization knew about him. They knew of him. that Roman had an ace up his sleeve. someone like Neo, but Roman made a point to keep his assets hidden. As far as most people were concerned, William didn't exist, and his accomplishments passed on easily to Neo. Not even Cinder Fall knew that William existed, and William had half the mind that Roman was sending him to keep tabs on her as well.

Neo dropped them off at the safehouse, and Roman let him in. Next came a shower, and when he got out, Roman had a pair of clippers in his hand, the guard already set. William sighed, putting his head over the trashcan provided as Roman set to work.

Roman made short work of his hair, buzzing it down to the inch and a half the guard was set to. He examined it for a moment, then combed it back and forth to get the hair clippings out. He had William rinse it out in the sink again and opened a can of gel.

"No no no." William muttered, backing away as Roman advanced. "I am not letting you gel my hair. Not after that."

"That was once." Roman protested as he trapped the man in a corner.

William started to thrash, but thought better of it as Roman set to work texturing his hair with the skill of a professional hair stylist. William never questioned why Roman knew how to style hair so well, nor did he really want to. He did know the skill extended to female hair as well, since he'd reported back once to see Roman giving Neo a trim.

When Roman pulled away William's hair was textured, giving him a punk look, complimented by his clothes. His black hair was spiked a little and angled to the left. Roman smiled, washing his hands in the sink as he sauntered away.

"You look fabulous." Roman stated, "Like a boy going for his first interview."

William simply shot him a glare, and pulled on the coat. It was warm, despite it lacking a lining, and William appreciated it. It would disrupt his form in the night, and the duster kept his blade hidden. Both were welcome in the line of work he was accustom to.

"Or his first day of school." Roman admitted after he didn't get a rise out of him.

William glanced at him, but didn't reply as he headed out. Neo pulled up, and Roman caught up to him, getting in beside him. Neo glanced back at them and pointedly stuck her tongue out at William.

"Midget." William snapped at her, which shut her up quite quickly.

"Behave children." Roman teased gently, a pristine smile on his face as Neo made her way to the airstop.

William would enter Beacon just like any other student. The airship to it was literally the only way. Not even Roman could circumvent that without being too obvious. But then again, being overt somehow managed to be covert for him as well.

They dropped him off, along with a duffle bag William wasn't really sure what was in, at the bench for it. William picked it up, and Roman eased the window down.

"Buh bye!" He called, "Have a good time! Write to your loving uncle sometime sweetie!" He blew William a kiss.

William was half tempted to respond. He was half tempted to throw his sword at him. Instead he gave Roman a halfhearted wave. the wave of an annoyed teenager to his annoying parents, or in this case, 'uncle.'

He picked up the bag, unzipping it slightly to check the contents. He didn't think Roman was going to send him in with explosives of anything, but it never hurt to check. From a casual check, they just looked like spare clothes and school supplies. An assortment of notebooks and binders, a few textbooks on one end made it heavier. William took the liberty to unzip it all the way and carefully sort through it, under the guise of a student checking his supplies for the coming classes.

His search let him take a seat on a nearby bench, and he enjoyed the momentary solitude. It didn't last long though, not as long as he would like anyhow. It ended the moment a girl with garnet hair dropped down next to him.

He paused, glancing at her slowly before zipping up his bag, hauling it to the opposite side she sat. The girl noticed, appearing embarrassed, and a little put off.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She

He was a bit surprised at her bluntness. Typically most people took it in stride. He met her gaze, and found himself amused to see her silver eyes filled with concern, and a little hurt. She was honest, her emotions like an open book.

"No harm done." He replied gently, pushing a soothing tone into his words, like a parent consoling a child. He hadn't learned the tone from his personal experience, but rather listening to hundreds of conversations on assorted jobs. People had different tones for different emotions, different accents that came from where they lived and worked. where they were born and raised. William could imitate some of it. Not all of it, But he had enough to know where to throw in a little emotion and tone to influence a conversation to achieve a better outcome.

She relaxed at his words and gave him a smile. "Well I'm glad. My name is Ruby!" She greeted him, holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

Ruby. She looked familiar. William took her hand and squeezed it. He was unsurprised to feel the rough calluses on her palm, formed from years of working with a hunter's weapon. She was a huntress alright.

Little Red.

She clicked in his head and he smiled, keeping the menace out of it as he realized he already met one of Roman's marks. She seemed nice. Innocent even, never realizing that one of her enemies had just dropped an assassin off to kill her, and she was currently talking to him.

Her eyes flicked down to his bag, and her face scrunched up for a fraction of a second before she smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Are you a new transfer student? And I'm the first to meet you! Oh that's wonderful! Welcome to Beacon!"

Cheery. William gave her another sweet smile, "I appreciate that Ruby." He replied, just as someone with a noble air about her, stalked up.

She was dressed in prim, formal attire. a neat white skirt and top with heels. She looked suited to do battle against a mound of paperwork, or maybe give a speech. She had that feel about her. Everyone was a peasant when it came to her. whether she was aware of her mannerisms or not.

She regarded him with a glance before ignoring him and addressing Ruby. "I told you not to run off." She snapped, her tone and expression relaying a measure of dislike. She regarded Ruby as one would a baby or a child. It occurred to him then how young Ruby was.

He didn't doubt there was a file on her in the duffel bag, along with the rest of her team. Yet, he was learning quickly just how… naive she was. How oblivious she was to the dangers of the world. of the possibility of harm coming to her, or anything around them.

"Wiesssss." She whined as her companion pulled her off in the direction of the landing airship.

He watched them a moment longer. Observing how Ruby complained to the white haired girl while dragging her feet, which he noted were clad in combat boots. He bent down, picking up his duffel bag, and heading to the transport. The flight wouldn't be too long, a fifteen minute inconvenience. He'd soak in the dialogue, learn what words to say, what phrases they used, and do his best to filter whatever street slang out of his language before he spoke.

By the time he made it to the school, he'd quickly learned that there was no student on board who came close to swearing as badly as Roman did in the mornings. Particularly when one of his numerous plans went wrong. Or he stubbed a toe. Even now William wasn't completely sure he knew all the curses Roman seemed to have at the ready in the back of his mind.

He picked up his bag, falling behind the rest of the crowd. letting his pace set him apart as he slowed. He hated crowds. hated being a part of them. the unsure feeling of who was near you. who could touch you. It sent shivers up his spine and made him want to draw his sword to fend them all away.

But he wasn't a savage. He knew how to keep his cool. keep the emotions off his face. To hide his fears, his trauma, and appear just as normal as everyone else. Part of it Roman had taught him. another part his father, but for the most part, he simply learned to mask everything, and put on another mask when one couldn't take it.

He exited the plane alone, one of the last few stragglers getting off. He stood still for a moment, looking up at the Beacon Tower. The highest structure in Vale. An assortment of crystals hanging in it, shining a bright green. Windows dotted the structure in a neat, orderly fashion, and William took the time to admire it, even as he noticed an older woman with blonde hair approaching from the side.

He recognized her from Roman's mission reports and details. Glynda Goodwitch. SHe used telekinesis. A dangerous power, and one that he wasn't quite sure he had a chance against. Surely she couldn't control his semblance, his Aura, But a woman of her skill and experience could certainly deal with him quite quickly if given a reason to.

"Mr. Lance." She greeted him coldly.

He openly grimaced at his surname, no mask could take that away from him. "William, if you please." He replied. "I don't like my surname."

She regarded him as a cat would a mouse. an insignificant nuisance that occupied her ever so precious time. She ignored him, turning on her heels and heading back towards the tower. William followed her, pulling his bag up onto his shoulder, annoyed that it wasn't balanced.

She lead him into the building and down a hall to an elevator. They stepped in, she pressed a button ,and it rose. there wasn't any discussion, not when it stopped, nor when they got off and entered a large office.

Across from the elevator was a large window, looking out over the city of Vale. A desk, glass top, was the barrier, without a single chair in the room beyond the one a gray haired man sat in.

William knew this man as well, it was hard not to. Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of the school, and according to Roman, a man of power. A dangerous one at that. He was dressed formally. The casual way the man rose from his chair, coupled with the ease of his movements as he walked around the desk, told him that he wore the clothing often.

"William Faolan Lance." Professor Ozpin greeted, his voice calm, even. The tone almost sounded friendly, but his expression was neutral, as were his words and posture.

William glanced at him, measuring the weight in the Ozpin's stare. He came off similar to Roman, but the opposite. He came off as a man with a mystery, with a plan so extensive no creature on earth could understand even half of it but him. There was wisdom in his eyes, and a cold glaze over it. Revealing nothing, reflecting whatever looked in.

"Please. Call me William." He requested.

Glynda made a slight noise, like a snort or a sigh. Ozpin simply cocked his head up, as if surprised. "You don't like your surname." Professor Ozpin noted.

He was suspicious. That or he was like this with all his students. William didn't know. Roman did his best to never interact with Glynda, or Ozpin. He'd have to play it safe.

"No sir." William replied. "Personal matters, if you please. I'd prefer not to discuss it."

There was a fraction of a pause, as if Ozpin was picking apart the statement, and digging into it to define every secret or tone it may have or ever hold. Then he turned on his heels, heading back to his desk with the same smooth gait he'd walked up in.

"Glynda, I believe I can handle Mr. William. I believe you have other matters to attend to today." He said as he took a seat, leaving William standing in front of him.

She seemed to consider the statement before turning on her heels, the sharp punctual sound of them hitting the floor marking her exit. The elevator opened and shut. Leaving William alone with Ozpin.

There was silence again, as Ozpin leaned over the desk and adopted a position of intrigue. William felt a tingle go up his spine. He hated the feeling of being watched, and Ozpin seemed like a man who was peering into his soul. Roman had warned him numerous times what Ozpin was like. He wasn't sure why Roman knew how Ozpin was, or even when that interaction had happened, just that it had.

"You wish to join my school."

A statement, but also a goad. Trying to find why William wanted to come here. Roman had told him that he was being sent here by his uncle. A fitting reason, seeing as his mom was dead and his father was in pieces. A wealthy uncle funding his beloved nephews education.

"Yes sir." And that was William's answer. Flat, clear cut. He didn't want to give this man anything more than he required.

Ozpin pursed his lips, a moment of annoyance. So he expanded his question. "And what has drawn you to my school? Your uncle works in Vacuo, correct? So there should be no reason to send you so far, and yet he has. I can only imagine why that is, by either your motivations or his. Perhaps you could enlighten me." He explained, leaning back in his chair. His tone was again even, devoid of most emotion, a mirror of his own.

So William pushed emotion into his voice. Vacuo had a casual feel about it, a rough edge in the dialogue. It came from the place being a breeding ground for crime and bad habits. Not the place for a child, but a wonderful place to get into underage drinking, or bar fights.

"I figured Beacon would have more discipline." William replied. "My uncle's business doesn't need to be inherited by a kid who is more concerned with playing with secretaries than getting the job done." He put innocence in the tone, a void emotion that kept his face straight, and his words light.

"Atlas has a more strict society, if that is what you're looking for." Ozpin countered. "Was my school simply a closer option? If he can afford to send you overseas, why not send you all the way to Atlas, the airfare is only a piece more."

"Atlas seemed too strict." William replied. "I felt that if I went from the casual society that Vacuo fosters to one of military level discipline then I would only shy away from it more. Beacon holds a level of individuality and ease, while still encouraging discipline and self motivation."

There was a pause, and Ozpin had to shift to the next topic. William had given him an unquestionable answer, and one that might as well have been taken out of a book. It covered what was needed, and even gave hint about what William was used to. Which let William adopt a bad boy feel, a character that would give him solitary, and allow him to be a bit of a recluse, as well as aggressive in nature.

"Very well…" Ozpin hummed, then got up, heading to the elevator. "Come with me." He stated. William followed him into the elevator, finding it waiting on them.

Ozpin hit a button, and the doors closed, descending the tower. "Since you're a late entry, we had to devise a secondary method to prove your combat prowess. My school is not for the weak, and at the beginning of the year, we have a more formal test which also assigns partners through a random method." William noticed his lips quirk slightly into what might have been a smile.

"Yes sir." William responded. "So what will my combat test be?"

The doors opened, and Ozpin strolled out into the hallway. It was wide, easily eight feet across, with doors on either side. Perhaps classrooms? Ozpin picked the first on the right, opening the door and stepping in, forcing William to follow.

"Indeed. You will have to retrieve something for me. A relic of sorts. As the normal entrance exam has concluded, this will be your test. It's in the cafeteria, and I've given special orders to a specific team. They will be your opposition. Your only objective is to get the relic, and get back here." Ozpin explained, heading to the desk at the front of the class.

A map of the school had been laid out on it, along with a cup of coffee. Ozpin picked up the cup, tapping the map and gesturing towards him as he took a sip of the drink. It seemed to please him, since he took another sip.

William watched him carefully as he stepped down, examining the map. He located the cafeteria, sorting through the map and checking what he would need. This floor was the nineteenth. The plaque on the door said so, classroom 1902. Which meant he had to get down nineteen floors, to the cafeteria, and back. All while avoiding a four person team, which he assumed he couldn't kill.

"Any other regulations?" William asked, already slipping on a difference mental mask. He had an objective. He could not kill. It was a basic hit and run. His target was the relic, and everything else was just an obstacle.

Ozpin shook his head, and William turned, heading up to the doors. Ozpin paused, glancing at the map, then him.

"Do you have it memorized?" He asked, folding it up and extending it out to him.

William shook his head. "No need." He assured the headmaster, stopping at the door. "I'll get it."

"The moment you step out that door. The exam begins." Ozpin warned, his voice with just a hint of danger to it. The team was already in place. He'd assigned them this in advance, and they were ready.

William twisted the doorknob and took a step out, throwing the door wide.


	2. Welcome To Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William's impromptu entrance exam has him facing off against one special team in a fetch mission.   
> Which leaves him in an interesting situation.  
> Run.   
> Fight.  
> Or Kill.

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter Two**

**Welcome To Beacon**

A sixth sense warned him about the danger as soon as he stepped out of the door. He didn't have time to do much about it. His sword was still in it's holster, and he couldn't tell which direction the attack came from to weave a shield in time.

The hit came from his right, the wooden door shattering as a fist came through it. William had enough time to jump, and start to scrunch up before it hit, sending him tumbling down the hall.

He rolled with it, coming back on his feet, facing his attacker. A blonde in a short sleeved leather jacket, a skirt and leggings. Her arms were covered in yellow punching gauntlets, and as he watched, she swung her right forward. A shell discharged and a reloading sound reached his ears. A thin barrel was just barely visible at the tip of her weapon. William grimaced,

He charged, keeping his sword sheathed. He wouldn't need it for this. She moved to meet him, cocking her right arm back. It looked like a heavy punch. He jumped as she swung forward, a straight punch that was easy to read.

He planted one hand on it and flipped over her. Keeping momentum as he went for the elevator. He mashed the button, and the doors dinged open. He didn't enter though. Instead faced the blonde again as she came back. He ducked her first punch and, before she could pull it back, grabbed it.

His feet stomped on top of hers as he pulled back, over balancing her and throwing her over his head, into the elevator. She landed with a yelp in the back of the elevator, head on the floor and back against the wall. William rolled to his feet, quickly pressing a few of the bottom floor buttons before stepping out. The elevator closed just as she got to her feet. William turned away.

His second opponent was waiting for him to turn around. A black haired girl, a bow in her hair, with golden feline eyes. William paused, considering if she could be a Faunus, but decided that he couldn't be sure. She wielded two weapons, a thick cleaver like object in one hand, a thin sword in the other, a pistol looking mechanism for the hilt.

"Well aren't you polite." William muttered.

She narrowed her eyes at him. It was a very catlike expression. "I don't attack people when their backs are turned."

William watched her as she edged closer. She was experienced. He started to draw his sword, but through better of it. The hall might have been large, but she had two weapons and an advantage in speed. He needed quickness. He drew the Aura Blades out of his pocket, gripping them reversed. Daggers weren't meant to be held upright, but upside-down with the blades pointed to the ground.

The blades came to life in his hands. Buzzing blue edges vibrated slightly in his hands as they channeled his Aura into them. He put his hands up and the girl attacked. She used a flowing style, each attack leading into the next. William was glad he used the daggers, he would not have been able to keep up with his sword. Her attacks were quick, but they lacked any true force, and it let William fend them off one after the other even with the daggers.

He broke her guard a moment later, catching both blades in either of his, and knocked them out wide. He kicked her, making her stagger back as he took off running down the hall, away from the elevator. There should be a window he could jump out of somewhere on the floor.

He rounded the corner and on instinct dropped, sliding on his knees and leaning back as far as he could. A scythe blade slashed through the air above his head. A mechanical crank as something in the mechanism shifted reached his ears. Then it was gone. He didn't even catch a glimpse of the wielder.

He twisted around, getting to his feet as he recognized the next person. The white haired girl from before. Weiss, if he recalled correctly.

He jumped back as she thrust her rapier forwards. He parried and knocked it aside before it could hit. He followed up with a kick, planting his back foot and slamming it into her gut. Even with her Aura blocking it she doubled over. The benefits of having a steel heel.

He glanced behind him, locating the window he needed. It would take him out. He cast out his semblance, his Aura uncoiling off his body, forming strings and threads in his hands. He flicked his hands out, two threads looping around his Aura Blades. He tied them against his thighs as he took off running down the hall.

"Ruby! He's going for the window!" Weiss yelled behind him.

"No shit!" William yelled back.

A blur of red flashed by him, slipping around him and halting in front of the window. Rose petals bloomed beside him, and the girl in red came into focus. A large scythe in her hands and a determined look on her face.

She wore a different outfit from before, a cute little red and black outfit. A long red cloak hung from her shoulders. William almost felt bad for his next move. Almost.

He jerked his hand back harshly, a loop ensnaring her leg as he did so. He retracted the wire as quick as he could, and Ruby's leg came out from under her, spilling her onto the floor. He jumped over her and one of the Aura Blades slid off his thigh. He caught it, driving it into the windowsill as he went out the window.

The air grabbed at his clothing,but he ignored it as he searched the ground. He found a lamp post, and decided that would have to do. A wire looped around his sword, pulling it into his open hands. He flipped it, and it expanded readily into form. A moment later a thick blue cord, fashioned out of his Aura, appeared on either tip. He pulled the string back, an arrow forming on the string as he did so. The broadhead finished crafting itself just as he fired, and a thin blue wire kept it connected to his hand as the arrow shot through a light post, shattering the glass.

The arrow exploded out, threads bending back and wrapping around the post. Above him, the Aura Blade dug into the wall sharply, his weight suddenly on the wire. He grunted, feeling his arms protest as his weight pulled at their sockets. He slid down the wire, approaching the lamppost at a dangerous speed.

The wire disappeared and he hit the ground at a sprint. His legs went out from under him and he tucked into a roll, tumbling several feet in a wild, uncontrolled roll. His Aura didn't have time to coil around him again, and he took it without complaint as the concrete bit into his clothing and exposed flesh.

He came to a halt on his stomach. He paused, assessing the damage for a moment before pushing himself up and getting to his feet. The cloths had held up perfectly, a little dust and dirt on them, but nothing was torn. He dusted himself off and glanced back up. A little red figure could be seen from the broken tower window, and he could only guess what Ruby was thinking.

Still, It gave him plenty of time to get the relic. He took off running down the sidewalk, back in front of the building. His split second decision hadn't given him the best landing area, but the lamp post he aimed for was the closest out of all of them. William wasn't sure if he could have made a longer shot, and didn't wanted to risk missing. Plus, if he missed and had to shoot again, he would have sped up even more. He wasn't sure a lamp post and a hastily stabbed in dagger could handle that force without failing.

The cafeteria came up quickly, as did one of his opponents. Weiss. A glyph appeared under her, and he realized that she must have jumped out, using her glyphs to navigate down safely. A far better option than the one he used.

She had beat him to the cafeteria doors, and he had to guess that Ruby was inside as well. She was fast and her semblance seemed to be speed. Roman's reports had matched that and William wouldn't be surprised if she'd just taken the stairs, flying down them and bouncing off the walls down the entire tower.

Weiss thrust her free hand forward, and William felt a glyph under his foot as he took the next step. So he tripped, tumbling over the glyph and rolling back to his feet. Weiss seemed stunned, or perhaps irked.

She blocked his first strike, a casual overhead slash, which led into a more complex sequence. She reacted well to it, fending off the attacks well, but missed him casting out his semblance again. He feinted a grab to her wrist, his wire prepared as she knocked it aside. It coiled around her wrist, an unnoticed trap.

William extended the wire, blocking her next attack as he brought his foot up, and stomped on the wire as he pulled it tight. Weiss' hand jerked down, her surprise evident in her expression. William took a moment to shift his weight then pivoted on the foot, using his other leg to give her a roundhouse kick to the side. He dissolved the wire as he did, and she went stumbling out of his way.

He rushed to the doors, throwing them open and ducking inside. To his surprise, it was the blonde waiting for him. She stood by the little pedestal that held the relic, a black rook chess piece.

"So we meet again." He mused, walking forward as she did. She matched his pace, so they'd meet in the middle.

There was a swagger to her step and a grin on her lips as she sized him up. He gave her time to as he did the same. Plenty of power, but she was lacking in dexterity and finesse. She could throw a punch and more than handle one if he had to guess.

"You ready for this hotshot?" She challenged, cocking both of her gauntlets.

William clicked his tongue, considering the room for a moment. Lunch tables spanned the whole room with the relic in the exact middle. Doors stood on either side. The main doors which he came in through, and side exit doors. A cooking area was at the far end, and he could even see the cooks through the window getting ready for lunch.

"Why not." He replied with a sigh, wading into the fight.

"Oh come on!" She piped back, a dark gleam in her eye. "Act like you'll enjoy a dance with me!"

William pursed his lips. "It's not the dance I'm dreading. It's the rejection that follows."

She led with punches and William's eyes analyzed each one. She had a pattern, left right left right. A constant series of blows, an ideal execution if you could connect. Little explosions rocked out of her gauntlet barrels and William did his best to knock them aside. Three connected, but his Aura took the damage.

She was definitely the heavy hitter of the group.

William ducked around her next punch and his hand ghosted up the side of her arm, wrapping one of his wires around it, making sure he had a hold on it for later. He gave that wire plenty of slack, as he didn't need her noticing it early and prying it off.

He ran, to the relic this time. He took two steps and jumped to the side, landing on a table. An explosion impacted the ground where he was. The blonde had rockets. Of course she had rockets. William grimaced, rolling his eyes. He jumped again, turning to address them directly. They were faster than Dust Rounds, But slower than regular bullets.

He flicked his hand out, the fingers dancing as he wove two shields, and strung them up from the overhead lights of the cafeteria while anchoring them to the legs of the tables in the room. The tension gave it more strength and let him put less Aura into maintaining it's shape. He backpedaled, weaving shields for each rocket, or adjusting others to compensate. The blonde fired off more, advancing on him as she shot. William was careful to make sure that the wire on her arm wasn't incorporated or tangled.

She reached him as he got to the relic, bounding onto the table and charging him. He planted a foot on the wire attached to her arm, pulling all the slack out of it and snapping it tight. She twisted around, smart enough to realize it was bad to turn any other way. William's leg came up as a kick to the face that knocked her to the tabletop. William threw another wire out, wrapping it around the relic and pulling it towards him off of the pedestal.

The blonde was getting to her feet now and William looked up as the doors burst open. The black haired girl from before. William caught the relic, wires looping around it, making a harness as he looped wires around his arms and thighs, forming a full body harness, to make sure it stayed on his back.

William planted his foot on the blonde, keeping her down as he focused on the black haired girl. He pulled his sword out, transforming it to bow form. The string buzzed to life, and he pulled it back, his Aura already constructing an set it on the string, Aura already constructing another, held in his ring and pinky finger. He drew back with his thumb and index finger, and launched the shaft across the room at the black hair girl.

She shimmered and re-appeared running on the tabletop next to where the arrow flew. William managed two more shots, both missing, before he suddenly and painful realized his mistake. The blonde could take a hit.

He crumbled as she slammed her fist into the back of his knee. He grimaced, feeling pain radiate up it with the explosion. William swore, but he focused the pain and took it out on her, putting his full weight in his other knee and driving it down onto her stomach.

She grunted and William rolled forward, collapsing the bow as the black haired girl rushed to meet him. Again they traded blows, which William got the better of, leaving her flexing her off hand. Her knuckles struck more than once with the back of his blade.

He turned as the blonde came at him. He realized his second mistake there. Before, her eyes had been a pale color, not a pink, but a light purple. Now they burned red, her hair shining brightly. Her semblance perhaps? Either way, this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Shit." He swore as her fist encompassed his vision.

He tore through the table, and the next one, only survival skill and experience allowing him to keep his grip on his sword. He hit the far wall a moment later, feeling the plaster crack as his back slammed into it. Groaning, seeing? his vision wash red and feeling the faint trickle of blood where his head had cracked the plaster wall.

He shook his head and peeled himself out as the black and yellow pair rushed him. The blonde had calmed and they were running at him at a normal pace, neither in a hurry. They didn't realize he had taken hits like that before. He wouldn't be surprised if that could knock out most people. He reached up and touched his face. He was not surprised to see blood on his thumb, likely gushing out of his nose.

He sniffled then blew his nose, blood and mucus coming out as he dropped to the ground. He turned and noticed the disgusted face on the black haired girl as his Aura collected around him, staunching the bleeding. For a moment, she seemed stunned, unsure if she should attack or not since he was bleeding.

"You took that without Aura?" The blonde called from farther back. "Holy shit!"  
William didn't reply as he turned and sprinted out the door, throwing them open with his shoulder. They swung open on greased hinges and he went running. Ruby hadn't ambushed him and Weiss wasn't outside. Which meant they were both waiting for him inside the tower, likely in front of or near the elevator to Ozpin's office.

The blonde came out behind him, but he ignored her. He could outrun both of them. Neither were faunus, and even if they were, he had experience escaping pursuits.

He hit the school building, taking the stairs up to the next floor. He vaulted the first railing, but swung his legs up further, hooking them on the next, and swung himself up the full flight, hitting the door with his back. He stumbled into someone, knocking them on their back, but he didn't have time to apologize as he kept running. He'd take the elevator from the third floor, but he needed to hit the second floor button so he didn't have to wait long.

He reached it, hitting the button and sprinting away, but the blonde had caught up. Behind her a blond haired boy in a school uniform, along with a redhead with a golden tiara, seemed to be examining the fight. The black haired girl was rushing out the stairwell, knocking the boy over again.

He took the opportunity and charged the blonde. She reacted with a left hook,but he knocked it aside with his elbow and wrapped his arm around her neck. He noticed her eyes had returned to their lilac hue. He hoped that meant she'd calmed down. He twisted her around, her back to his chest. She seemed surprised that someone would try a chokehold on her, and her partner recovered, rushing them as William knocked her legs out. He dropped to one knee and looked up to measure the distance as she ran to them. William felt the blonde shove her arms up, moving to push his arm over her head.

"Yang!" The other girl yelled.

William dropped the blonde, Yang apparently,and he heard a gasp, letting him know she was fine. He lept forward, reaching for the other girl's ankles. Her gaze flickered between him and Yang, and he noticed a shadow to his left. She had pulled her disappearing act again. He caught himself with his hands and swept his leg around, knocking her to the ground anyway.

As he pulled himself to his feet the elevator dinged behind him. Now was as good a time as ever. he ran back to it before mashing the button for the top floor.

The doors closed as Yang and her partner reached it. the elevator was already on it's way. William checked his equipment. he had an Aura Blade left, his sword,and Lockpick set in the cargo pocket. Nothing to wipe his nose on.

He reached up, feeling the way it broke with his hands. He took a deep breath and concentrated for a moment. He'd set his nose before, but it was a bit of a dangerous process. If he set it wrong then it'd heal crooked. Roman was excellent at it and William could hardly tell that the man had broken his nose three times before. William wasn't the best, but he could get it straight at least.

He let out a growl as he wrenched it into place. His Aura burned and he felt it help realign the shattered bone fragments, edging them into place. The cartilage felt smooth, but he ran a finger down it, making sure. It felt like he'd aligned it right. He could only hope since he didn't have a mirror on hand. He wiped his nose on the back of his hand, ignoring the smear of blood it left on it. He wasn't about to wipe it on his pants. He just got them.

The elevator came to a halt at the seventh floor. The doors open and William just glared at the two waiting. Ruby and Weiss. They regarded him for a moment then each other. The elevator as too small for any real fighting. Ruby sheathed her weapon, and Weiss kept hers out. Then they both stepped in.

"Ruby." William greeted. "I didn't know you were a team leader."

Weiss lashed out, forcing William to dodge to the side as the rapier sliced through the air by his chest. He didn't have his Aura, it was in his semblance. which was unfortunately being used for the harness. He grimaced.

Ruby smiled at him. "Nice to meet you. I didn't realize we'd be fighting today either." She said it cheerily.

"You have a nice-" William hissed while drawing his remaining Aura Blade and knocking the next rapier thrust to the side. Weiss lashed a hand out forming a glyph at his feet.

He jumped, but found she'd anticipated it, and put one on the ceiling as well. He slammed the Aura Blade into the wall, cocking his body violently to one side to keep his head from brushing against it.

"Team." He finished as Weiss redirected a glyph. William jerked to the other wall, propelled by the glyph into the opposite wall.

The elevator was too narrow to do anything but take the blow, which didn't hurt too much. It made his nose itch if anything. He hit the ground and lashed out with a kick. Weiss tried to move to the side, but Ruby delayed her and the kick sent her back against the wall.

"Perhaps two of us in the elevator wasn't a good idea." Weiss mused.

"I think you'd be right." William agreed, stepping closer. "Just my personal opinion."

She gave him a glare, but he ignored it. He'd been given far worse.

She attacked and he deflected it again. So she started incorporating short slashes, making him work for it. Ruby sat back and watched.

William gritted his teeth, annoyed. They weren't bad. Not in combat, but it frustrated him that he couldn't dispose of them entirely. He was used to killing and moving on. A dead sentry was far less of a liability than an unconscious sentry. A dead one never got up, the other had a time limit.

He knocked the next rapier thrust aside, and grabbed the blade with his off hand,a thick mesh of wires covering it protected him from being sliced open. He didn't need more blood on his new clothes. He yanked Weiss forward as he extended his other arm, sweeping it forward.

She hit the floor, head spinning from the clothesline. William grunted, seeming satisfied with the action and result. He glanced at Ruby, who put her fists up. He raised an eyebrow. She grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"Just letting you know." William commented. "Martial arts are a wonderful thing to learn. That and street fighting." He glanced down at Weiss who was slowly shaking her head. The floor was a hard granite and William had no doubt in his mind that had hurt.

"I'll keep that in mind." Ruby commented as the door opened behind her.

William brushed by her, stepping into the office as Ozpin looked up from his desk. He looked around him casually to see Ruby and Weiss. He hummed softly, setting his coffee cup down.

"I see you've made it back in one piece Mr. William." Ozpin mused. He paused, noticing the blood on his hand and lip. "Are you hurt?"

"My semblance cancels out my Aura's passive shielding." William explained. "A bloody nose. Nothing serious. I didn't realize how hard the blonde girl hit."

That drew a smirk from Ozpin, but the emotion didn't quite reach into his eyes. Certainly his expression matched, along with his body language, but there was something distinctly missing from his eyes.

"Yes. I suppose Miss Xiao Long has quite the arm. The relic?" He asked.

William canceled his semblance, pulling the relic off his back and setting it on the desk. "Of course."

He nodded to it, before changing the topic. "You took a daring move getting down from here. Your semblance doesn't give you much in landing strategies, does it? Certainly not in this environment."

William paused, feeling anxiety crawling up into his mind. He'd completed the mission. Why was he being questioned? No one was dead. He hadn't hurt any of them so badly that their Aura had run out. He put Yang in a chokehold, but not nearly long enough for her to black out or die. Why did it matter how he got to the ground? The relic was retrieved.

"I don't understand the problem sir." William replied. Was Ozpin like Roman? What types of punishment did he use? William resisted the urge to cringe at the thought.

Ozpin rose from his chair. "You plummet more than a hundred feet in the air and use a zip line that's attached to a lamppost and a windowsill?" He cocked his head at William. "I appreciate daring, and the effort you put into the objective, but your safety is of the utmost importance, regardless of the importance of the mission. If you had missed that shot, then you'd be in far worse shape than a broken nose and a crack on the head."

So he knew about the head wound as well And he had thought that his hair had hidden it well. He was concerned with how he did it, not what he did. Why was that an issue? Roman never cared what condition he came back in. Roman caused half of the injuries William had to begin with!

"I...I…" William paused and slowly closed his mouth, unsure what to do about it. This was new. He'd infiltrated gangs before and they were fine with injuries, sometimes they even encouraged it.

"Take yourself to the infirmary. Get those wounds treated. Be careful." Ozpin replied before he could think of anything. "You passed, but I don't want you hurt. Miss Rose." Ruby straightened her back.

"Yes sir?"

"Please gather your team and wait in the lobby, I'd like a moment to talk with Mr. William." Ozpin explained, nodding at them. Ruby nodded, slowly stepped back into the elevator. Her partner hit the button and the elevator closed.

"You could have killed yourself." Ozpin said, his voice sharp, annoyed this time, But again the tone didn't match his expression, which relayed disappointment.

"The mission was accomplished, quick and clean." William countered.

"There are things that are far more important than the mission." Ozpin replied just as sharp. Would a normal teen yell? William didn't know. He struggled to keep his emotions in check, he didn't have an attitude or a mental mask for when someone cared about his health.

"And what if I don't care about my health?" William shot back, hoping it would be the right response for a rebellion punk from Vacuo.

"Then perhaps you should start." Ozpin replied. "Before you end your life too early and become just another gravestone for your parents and uncle to mourn at."

William gritted his teeth, clenching his palms into fists. "My parents are dead And I don't give a damn if my uncle ever came." He caught himself. "He doesn't have time for me, much less a funeral." Caught it, now he was just a neglected punk. Gave him a reason to be antisocial and snarky.

"You should learn by now that there are still people in this world that care about one another regardless of how well you know them or not. Miss Rose is one of those people, with a heart as big as possible, and a love for every soul in the world that she has ever met. Surely you can see that." Ozpin replied, his voice raising slightly.

William's fingernails bit into his palms as he snapped back. "I haven't had a chance to see that. The only person who gave a damn about my life is dead, so I don't want to hear it!" He barked back, seething with rage. He could still feel his mother's hands on his shoulders, protecting him. Even now, still hear her voice in his ear, assuring him that she loved him. And he could still hear his father laugh.

There was a pause, with silence so thick a pair of scissors could have cut it. Ozpin seemed stunned at his statement. William hadn't meant for it to come out, but he could play on it anyway. His parents were dead, and it all factored into the backstory he could slowly build for himself.

The next time Ozpin spoke, it was slow and deliberate. "The only person in your life who can determine what your life is worth," he looked pointedly at him, "Is you. It is not defined by who, or how many people have loved you, but by what you think of yourself. If you have had someone love you in your life, then you should know you're worthy by their definition, and you shouldn't try to throw it away with reckless stunts that could leave you no more than a splattered mess of blood and bone on the sidewalk."

And what if the person who loved you would be horrified if what you've done? Of what you've lived through? William scowled, finding the expression came easy with the persona he was slowly building. "Lucky I had someone give me the chance to find my own worth, is that it? Right." He turned away to the elevator.

"William." Ozpin replied, a tone in his voice that made William stop in his tracks. "No one's life is worthless. If you're alive now, it means someone cared about you enough to keep you living. If not your uncle, then surely one of your parents, or a friend. They are the tools that let you survive the tide of the world. "

William glanced back at him. "How can I survive the tide, if I'm still drowning in the well that's filling up?" The tide of the world? Did he mean the crime and corruption William was practically swimming in already? The little world Roman had already drowned him, until it soaked into his soul?

Ozpin sighed, his look of disappointment on his face evident. "Then I would suggest you stop trying to swim, and grab the bucket when it comes down."

William rolled his eyes. "A bucket?" He asked sarcastically. He snorted, shaking his head. They went from metaphors for darkness and light, to a literal well. Glorious. He headed to the elevator, hitting the call button.

Ozpin was silent as the doors opened, but tossed him something. William caught it, examining it as Ozpin cast him his final words.

"Welcome to Beacon. A step towards the light."

The last line made William snarl, but the door closed before he could bark back And the silence of the elevator let him collect himself. Ozpin had gotten under his skin, had started prying at the masks he made with surprising strength and quickness. he gave William nothing to defend with, no chance to turn the discussion away or deflect it back on him, Or had he just missed them?

William's mood had been smothered and as the elevator opened, he found all four girls waiting on him. Yang seemed to be inspecting her weapons while Ruby was eagerly awaiting his arrival. The black haired girl seemed to be reading a book inside of a book and Weiss was stilling in a chair. Her back straight, hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Did you get accepted, for real? What did Ozpin want? Where's your room? Do We need to take you!?" Ruby said, nearly jumping him.

She was an excitable character. He had dealt with her type before. he just needed to distract her, So he smiled at her and handed her what Ozpin had thrown to him. a key, or more likely a programmable key card, for his room. He would have to download it onto his scroll later.

She snatched it out of his hand as he stepped out, examining the numbers on it, before handing it back to him. "Let's go! Before the Witch marks us tardy for class!" And she took off running.

"She always like this?" William asked as the others got to their feet.

"Get used to it." Yang replied. "I'm her big sis, and she's been like this for as long as I can remember." She laughed a little and ran after her. Weiss looked exasperated and the black haired girl just went along with them with a simply eye roll.

William sighed before running after them.

Ozpin watched from above. Glynda came up behind him and followed his gaze down to them.

"Tell me," She said, her gaze never wavering from William's back as they ran to the campus dorms, "What do you see in that boy?"

"Glynda, you've known me for a long time." Ozpin started. "And at this moment, I can't truly say what I see in him. I see a wounded man. One who has never had the opportunity to be kind or pick his path in life. He was thrust into darkness the moment he was born. All I want to do is give him a chance."

Glynda held up a file for him, William's full name neatly printed on the tab. "And of this?" She asked.

Ozpin glanced at it, then nodded. "Authenticate it And set up his course schedule."

"Why are you helping him? If you want to reform him, give him to James." She commented as she headed to his desk.

"This boy has already had enough pain. He doesn't need a man driving him to do the right thing, but the simple opportunity to realize what right and wrong is, and the ability to choose what to follow. I believe he will choose what is right." Ozpin replied steadily.

Glynda sighed, looking back on him and shaking her head. She had known Oz for a long time and there were still things that she just didn't understand about his decisions. Not in the present at least. "I hope you're right." Was all she said.


	3. Bloody Phantoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William's introduction into Beacon.  
> Complete with friendly bully, scared faunus, and bloody phantoms.   
> At least Two of these are not in the brochure.   
> Maybe all three.

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter 3**

**Bloodied Phantoms**

William followed team RWBY back to the dorms, keeping up with them as they sprinted to get their books and stow their weapons. He didn't fully understand the situation, but he assumed that since it was his first day it would be handled. He didn't know his schedule. He had to assume someone would notify him when something happened, which left him anxious, but he wasn't surprised.

"So where are you from Will?" Yang asked, giving him a more thorough once over. William had a feeling she wasn't just sizing him up for his build.

There was a bit of hesitation as William quickly formulated his backstory, then he launched into it. "I was born in lower Vale, the slums area, but after my parents died my uncle took me in and we moved to Vacuo." He replied.

"Vacuo?" The black haired girl asked. "Hm."

William reexamined her, noticing the quivering of the bow in her hair. Her eyes were a bright gold, uncommon, but not so uncommon for a faunus. Perhaps she was a faunus, but why the bow? She ran with practiced ease, but there was an unnatural sense of balance in her stride. There was something more to her.

"It's a fun place if you know where to look, Miss…." he trailed off on purpose, hoping to squeeze a name out.

"Blake." She replied after a moment. "You have an interesting blade. What's the name of it?"

William smiled, delaying the question. His sword was a touchy subject. He would have to answer anyway, else it would lead to a suspicion that he wasn't what he seemed. What could he do? He had certainly named it, as most everyone did with a unique weapon, but the name was personal, and an answer to a question he had asked himself every night he worked.

"Moonlight Sonata." He replied, forcing his smile to stay on his face. His hand slid down to the hilt and grasped it. He squeezed it, as if making sure that it was still there.

"Pretty name, I think silver fits that motiff." She responded, her golden eyes flickering towards it before going back up to his face.

"We are going to be late!" Weiss hissed as she glared at them. William couldn't tell if that was her default personality, or if she was just a prude about school.

"I'll drop William off and then I'll meet you at class." Ruby replied, dropping back and grabbing William's arm.

A moment later they were a few yards ahead of the group. In the next, they hit the dorm doors, bursting through them and down the hall. Ruby already had his room number, and she dragged him down the hall and up the stairs in short bursts. She deposited him a moment later, right in front of his room. 213.

"Thanks." William said, only to find she had disappeared. He hummed and watched the rose petals drift lazily to the floor, no doubt spewing from her cloak as she ran.

He swiped his scroll in front of the door and the little reader flashed a green light. He heard the door lock click open. He pushed it open, stepping into the room. His duffle bag was already placed in the room, no doubt Ozpin's work.

The room looked basic, with four beds pushed to the corners of the room. A window lined up with the doorway, a nightstand under it. Two desks were set up on the left and right of the room. Footlockers were set up at the foot of each bed, no doubt for additional uniform storage. A separate door when to the bathroom and William headed to it.

It was plain, with two sinks, a single shower which sported a glass door instead of a curtain. A weapon's cleaning stall was set up as well, a little toolbox set into the wall above it. Two toilets, both with stall doors. Roman had told him that teams could be unisex. Which left William wondering why they bothered making stall doors if the shower had a glass door.

"Lovely." He mused aloud, heading back to the bedroom, unzipping his bag.

He picked the bed closest to the window, opening the footlocker and setting his equipment into it. The extra clothes Roman gave him, the lockpick set, and the school supplies that came in the bag. He tossed the rest on the bed, stowing the empty bag under the bed.

He changed out of his combat uniform. A school uniform had been set on the bed and he could only assume that he was meant to change. It felt tight, but it was his size. He rolled his shoulders around in it, and decided that it was awkward at best. He traded the supplies shoes for his boots though, deciding he'd like to have at least one weapon on him. He would have to leave Moonlight Sonata here since he doubted they let students have weapons in class.

He stretched, glancing longingly at the shower. He could go for a hot shower or anything to knock off the edge of his nose. His thoughts were broken, and his hopes shattered as someone banged on the door rather harshly.

William sighed and headed to the door, pulling it open. A tall boy stood a the ready, three other boys behind him. Each wore traditional armor, and the leader even gave off an arrogant feel. William pursed his lips.

"Hey. That dorky headmaster sent me. We're getting you for class." The ginger told him.

"Great." William replied slowly as they walked off as one down the hall. He absentmindedly wondered if there was a few spare brain cells in their skulls, or if there was a brain between them all. "These types…" He muttered.

He chose to walk a few paces behind them, deciding to observe them. He hated people like this. They headed to the main building, and the man and his goons bullied who ever looked weak enough not to retaliate. They were arrogant, and more than willing to subjugate others so that their power grew, or it left them feeling stronger. They were like Roman, but dirtier, less refined.

Roman had tact, and he had a method in his ways. Roman was careful in his choices, making sure that all of his plans lined up and trailed together. He gained power stably, using all of his resources, and not just brute force. William could respect that, even if he hated what that meant he had to do.

People like this, were just brutes. They were no more fit to live than the crime lords that ruled the Underground. Even worse, William could kill them. Yet, he had to let them live, even if he knew the world would end up a little nicer if their lives were extinguished. Perhaps after his mission was complete, and his debt to Roman paid.

'And after that you'll just be a common criminal. You'll have murdered how many people to get that freedom you're so proud of? How much blood has coated your hands since Roman got you? How many twisted lives have you ended?' His mind challenged. William's stomach churned, unsettled with the thought. Would he even have a place in the world after what he's done? William shook off the train of thought.

He didn't know their weapons or abilities. Even if they looked weak, and even if he could demolish them, slit their throats and leave them choking on their own blood, he had to resist. He was a student. It was his first day. He had to control himself, just like with Roman. William felt his blood burn, but he slid his fists into his pockets. He had to resist.

His plan shattered as the ginger passed a Rabbit Faunus. His meaty hand reached out, grabbing both of her ears and wrenching them up hard. She cried out, her books hitting the floor. William's blood boiled in his veins. His hands slid out of his pockets, his strides lengthened, and his posture grew aggressive as he advanced.

"Stop it! Please," she pleaded while reaching up to grasp his hands.

William hated bullies to begin with. He hated just beating people up for the fun of it. There was no sense in that to him. Roman did it, but usually he had a point to make. Don't be late on payments. Quit making a mistake. This had neither a point, nor benefit. And to top it off, the ginger was bullying a Faunus.

William didn't have anything against Faunus. He didn't really have anything for Faunus either. He liked them, respected them, and worked with a team of them for a short time. He got close to one of them, but in the end couldn't protect her. William had watched her die right in front of him. Watched blood soak the white rabbit ears on her head.

William wasn't truthfully sure if it was the ears that set him off or not. He just knew he was boiling with rage and someone was going to come awful close to dying in the next few moments.

William's hand wrapped around the gingers wrist, only managing to grasp half of it. Their grip loosened and the girl slid to the ground, her hands cradling her ears. William cracked his knuckles. His eyes were dark, like the sea during a storm. His Aura churned, reflecting his emotions. His semblance activated, and his Aura readily uncoiled in thick loops of wire. They coiled around his frame, spiraling around him, ready to be sent out.

Her hand grabbed his calf and he paused, looking down at her.

"Please, just let it be. Cardin won't let you off if you-"

William shook her off, heading towards Cardin. "I'm the one who won't be letting him off easy." He hissed, glaring at Cardin.

"Got a problem with this or something?" Cardin asked as his expression soured. "Then buzz off. I'm just having myself some fun."

"You're hurting her," William snarled. "And from the looks of it, no one else is going to put you in your place. So I'm more than willing to."

Cardin's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be contemplating something. He gestured, and his friends came forward. William snorted, but he couldn't deny that a four on one was an annoyance he didn't want to deal with. Still, he'd gone and made a scene, he might as well play it out.

"You really want to do this punk?" Cardin asked.

William took a deep breath as he reached down. His hand slid over Moonlight Sonata, but he didn't draw it. He didn't need to kill them. He couldn't kill them, not without risking his cover. He could knock some sense into them though.

William waded into the fight and his wires responded to his will. He was open about his semblance use this time, he didn't care who saw it. He needed it for the fight either way. He attacked the smallest one first, the kid with the mohawk. His wires coiled around his legs and yanked him off his feet.

He capitalized on that by mercilessly dropping on top of him, slamming his elbow into the kid's chest. The boy's Aura flashed, but William still heard something crack. Probably his sternum. He wasn't getting up.

A leg swept around and William barely caught it before it hit him in the face. He wrapped his other arm around it, feeling a second kick hit him in the back as he secured the leg. William spared a glance to see it was the gray haired kid's leg he'd grabbed, then kicked the kid's other leg out from under him.

He hit the floor on one knee, pain evident on his face as his leg threatened to twist the wrong way. William let go of his leg, resisting the urge to break it as he got to his feet. He faced the last goon, his Aura finally settling down as his emotions calmed. He rarely let his Aura rage out of control, but sometimes his semblance just let it.

Cardin stepped forward at that moment, deciding that he should back up his goons before they were completely shamed. William didn't care. He was going to wipe the floor with all of them.

"So you can fight." The last goon stated.

William didn't reply, his advance spoke for him, and the two started an exchange of fists. The last goon was the most balanced out of Cardin's group, a solid defense and offense. He did his best not to overextend himself, and William gave him credit where it was due. Unfortunately, William didn't have time to play nice.

William knocked his next punch out of the way, slamming his head into the gap. His own forehead mashed against the goon's face, and even if his Aura took the blow, he had been dazed. William slapped both of his hands against his ears, and then grabbed him by the arm, throwing him to the side. William had never tested to see if Aura could heal blown eardrums, but he was fairly certain that, if it could, it wouldn't be a speedy process.

Cardin was the only one left. William realized that about the same time he felt his weight go out from under him and the wall suddenly surge to meet him. The plaster cracked, and Cardin's weight held him there, his shoulder in William's side.

William coughed, swallowing before he spoke. "You're definitely playing to the dull witted and all muscle stereotype here." He muttered. "You just tried to tackle me through a wall." William wasn't about to comment that the only reason they likely hadn't gone through the wall was because there was a stud in the way.

William grunted, feeling Cardin's punch hit his other side. He was pinned, but not very well. He still had his arms and hands free. Cardin would do better to back up and start punching. William's hands wrapped around Cardin's face, a look of contemplation on his face as he positioned his hands.

A moment later Cardin started screaming as William started pressing his thumbs against Cardin's eyes. His forefingers dug into Cardin's ears, keeping his hands in place as the brute thrashed and shook his head.

"Back up." William advised casually.

Cardin threw him off, staggering back and rubbing his eyes. William planted his back foot and smashed his heel into Cardin's chest. Cardin staggered back, and William reinforced the attack. He took one step forward for the distance, throwing his weight into his kick as he slammed it into Cardin's chestplate.

The impact reverberated in William's leg as he set it down. As for Cardin, the bully hit the opposite wall, standing there for a moment before dropping to the floor, gasping for breath. His chest plate dented in.

William watched him for a moment, before heading back over to the Faunus. He bent down, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Buck up."

She looked up at him with incredibly large brown eyes and he could see his own dark visage reflected within them. That and the shadow of a mace swinging behind him.

William jerked to the side and the mace shattered the tile floor by his foot. A subtle click reached his ears and he realized a fraction of a second later what it meant. His Aura slid off his body, springing off his fingers as he cast it out. His fingers wove it into shape, his will pushing the additional wires into place. He only had a few moments.

The explosion knocked him off his feet and destroyed the floor. Shards of tile sliced into his back as he tumbled back a few feet. He hit the ground on his back, and the shard dug in deeper. William gritted his teeth, feeling the pain invade his system. He cut it off, ignoring the wetness that started seeping out of his back as he sat back up.

Cardin laughed. His expression was one of glee, like a child who just won a game or a piece of candy. It slowly died away as his gaze drifted to the side, where the Faunus girl was. A glowing blue shield, woven out of thin blue threads guarded her. She was unharmed despite the floor in front of her being demolished.

William's laughter was now the one that perforated the silence. Cardin's gaze shifted and focused on him. He was bleeding, but his expression wasn't one of pain or loss. He looked like a victor. William slowly got to his feet and cracked his neck.

"You're bringing a mace to a fistfight?" William asked, a smirk crossing his lips. "What? Can't handle it when someone kicks your ass? Can't keep up with me? I'm just one punk."

Cardin grit his teeth, his grip on his weapon tightening until his knuckles turned white. He charged forward and raised the mace above his head. William couldn't help but snort. How barbaric.

He ducked under the blow, letting it swing over his head as he made it inside of Cardin's guard. He slammed his knee into Cardin's gut and the boy doubled over. William's next kick drove his shin into Cardin's exposed face. He staggered back on unsteady legs, his grip now lose on his mace.

William sprang forward, throwing himself at Cardin. They hit the ground together, but William had the upperhand in an instant. William quickly manipulated him into an arm lock, clutching the larger boys wrist to his chest. He lifted the leg that was on top. He had steel heels for more than one reason.

William's heel cracked Cardin's Aura. The next shattered it. It disappeared in a flash, and William raised his leg one more time to finish him off. The bunny girl squealed and suddenly William found himself wrenched to his feet. He twisted around and saw that the person who pulled him off Cardin was a brown haired woman with a beret.

"Hello there." She greeted, setting him on his feet.

William gave her a quick once over. She was thin, like a model. She wore fashionable clothes and seemed to know exactly what she could do and who she was. She simply gave off that aura of self confidence. In one hand she held a set of textbooks, the other rested on a purse clipped to her hip. William frowned, realizing that meant she pulled him off Cardin and off his feet with one hand.

"Hello." William replied slowly. "You are?"

"Coco Adel." She greeted while sauntering by him and placing a heel on Cardin's chest. "Velvet's teammate. I appreciate you helping her out." She peered down at Cardin who suddenly looked pale. "Cardin." She said, her tone suddenly cold and dark.

"Coco." A second voice said. William looked over his shoulder, finding the owner of the voice a tanned boy in an orange vest. "I'll handle him."

Coco huffed, wrinkling he lip in annoyance as she stepped off. She bent down, grabbing Cardin by his collar and lifting him up with one hand, shoving him over to the boy. The boy didn't make a move to catch him. Instead he impressed William with brutality.

For a moment William completely missed the bloodlust and anger that contorted the boy's face. It sparked to life just as he moved. He took a step forward and William could see the muscles in his arm flex, Aura boosting their power. He put his weight and shoulder behind the punch, smashing his knuckles into Cardin's nose.

The larger boy flipped and hit the floor. William's face contorted into a wolfish grin, more than a little pleased with the result. The boy in the orange simply cracked his knuckles and bent down, picking up Cardin's leg. He nodded to William, and then started dragging Cardin's unconscious body down the hall.

"So." He turned, and found Coco staring at him, a thoughtful look on her face. "Who are you?"

She was strong. That was easy to see. Could she be a junior student? A sophomore perhaps? William would have to look into it. Roman wanted information, and she seemed dangerous.

"I'm William." He replied. "I just transferred in today."

"You're bleeding!" The bunny girl, William assumed was the Velvet Coco had referenced, rushed to his side.

Velvet grabbed his wrist and William saw a look of pure amusement cross Coco's lips as she started pulling him down the hall. He protested lightly, but already knew where she was taking him. Any combat school would have an infirmary.

"I'm fine." He tried to assure her, even as she pushed open the doors.

"Your back is soaked with blood!" She replied heatedly. William hummed, noticing the accent in her tone now. She was foreign. Interesting. "You need to get looked at or it will get infected!"

Infected wounds were nasty business. William knew that from experience. Aura could heal most wounds, but some things were beyond even its power. It was one thing to heal a wound, it was another entirely to fight off an infection, stop the bleeding, and heal it at once.

He'd slid down shingles one night on a mission and shredded his shirt and left side. He'd ignored it and pushed through the pain. A few days later it was a yellow pus filled mess. Infections were horrible and William doubted that the tile flooring was much cleaner than the shingles.

Velvet hurried him up to the desk. The receptionist looked attentive, but William noticed a falseness in her motions and tone. She was tired of her job, or bored with her shift. Still, she sent them back, and William was directed to a table. A nurse joined them shortly. William laid down on the table and let her assess the damage.

"Remove your shirt for me please?" The nurse asked. "I need to be sure how bad the actual damage is before I decide if you need stitches or just a few bandages."

"Bandages." William answered for her. He could feel the cuts on his back and none of them felt particularly long or stretched. They were just nicks and cuts from the ceramic tiles slicing through his school jacket. Nothing pressing. "I'll tell you that right now."

"We will wait to determine tha-" the nurse suddenly fell silent as William unbuttoned his school shirt, revealing his chest.

He tossed it and the jacket aside. The shirt was ruined, the soft white fabric stained red in various sized blotches on the back. He'd have to get a new one then. Perhaps Roman would pay for it? Or maybe the school would.

William turned his attention back to the nurse, who eyes were going over every inch of his skin as if he were some treasure map. He pursed his lips and followed her gaze.

She was staring at the scars. Even William had to admit he was nearly coated in them. His chest was a patchwork piece of scar tissue and muscle, sunken depressions in his skin where his flesh had been torn away and refused to heal properly. A jagged scar stretch from his right shoulder to the opposite hip. A handful of smaller scar branched off it, spreading the main scar larger at the intersections. There was a few small holes by his collar bone, depressions the size of a thumb with the skin a soft pink. Some on his side wrapped around to his back, which he knew was in no better state.

His back was more battered, but there wasn't any large scars on it that he could recall. Mostly it was small flecks, a collection of pocketed skin that had been torn out. There were small strips as well, running vertically down his back. Flogging left those kinds of scars. William wasn't sure if there was anything else in the world that left scars quite like it.

"Bleeding." He pointed out annoyed. "Shrapnel. Fix it." He told impatiently to the nurse.

She seemed to snap out of whatever trace she'd been in since she hurriedly picked up a pair of tweezers and a cotton swab. She walked around the table and William leaned forward. The skin stretched, the scars more pronounced, and the wounds opening. Blood leaked freely from them, but he paid it no mind.

He could feel her pick each slice of tile out of each cut, and dab at it with the cotton ball. He hissed the first time he felt it, cold alcohol surprising him. Then he was silent, taking the mild irritation in stride. His sea green eyes focused on the bunny girl in front of him, who seemed to still be in shock.

Her brown eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open, as if she'd forgotten it had fallen open. William cocked his head at her and she seemed to realize what she was doing. She blushed, but there was fear in her eyes and she refused to meet his gaze.

"That should be all of it." The nurse said. William heard her set the tweezers down followed by the feeling of cotton pads pressed against his back. "Let me bandage it and you're free to go." She said.

William lifted his arms above his head so she could wrap the bandages around. Once she was finished William got off the table, leaving the ruined shift and picking up the coat. He pulled it over his chest, buttoning it up.

"If you come back tomorrow I can get you something for the scarring." The nurse added as he headed to the door.

William glanced back at her and shook his head. "No. I'm carrying these scars to my grave." He turned, giving no further explanation for the scars, nor any doubt that he would not be coming back to get them treated.

"William!" He stopped at the door, and found it was Velvet how had called his name.

She looked at him uncertainly, living up to her Faunus heritage. She seemed ready to run or hide from his gaze. She shrank under it, and William felt his heart tug. She was just like her.

For a moment Velvet's ears turned white, and her eyes became a different shade of brown. Her body was dressed in black, instead of the school uniform. Blood seeped out of holes in her chest, and she stood on broken and tattered legs. William's eyes widened in horror as he realized he could see the bone, the flesh and muscle ripped apart with machinegun fire.

"William?"

William blinked, and the image was lost. Velvet was Velvet. Her ears weren't white, and her clothes weren't black or bloodied. She also wasn't dead, and she definitely wasn't shot.

"William are you alright?" She asked. William paused at the question, watching as her earlier fear melted into genuine concern. She was worried about a person she just met. How naive.

"I'm fine." He replied, reaching out. She shrank from his touch, but William caught her chin and lifted it up to meet his gaze. "You know." He muttered, peering down into her eyes. She seemed frozen at his touch, staring up into his eyes. "I was always fond of Faunus. They tend to see people for who they are, not who they seem to be." William mused. He took back his hand and turned away, heading back for the door.

"William?" Velvet asked in a small voice.

He looked back at her one final, stopping at the door. "You have a good leader Velvet. Keep them safe. Keep them close. Or you'll lose them." He advised, easing out of the door. It closed with a slam, leaving her with one last image of his eyes as he looked back.

Coco found her like that a few minutes later. Velvet was staring at the door, a look of fear and shock on her expression. The fashionista sauntered up to her, pursing her lips as she walked around her, then followed her gaze to the door.

"Velvet? Honey?" Coco asked gently, snapping her fingers in front of the bunny's face. "Hey what's up?"

Velvet turned to her, then looked back at the door. "William… He just left." She muttered softly. "He seemed nice. Said you were a good leader. That Faunus are good. We seemed to see more than the surface."

Coco frowned, seeming confused. "And you're concerned or terrified because of that?" She asked. "That doesn't sound bad. So why do you seem emotionally traumatized?"

"Because I looked at him." Velvet whispered, shivering slightly. "I mean, really looked at him. Past the masks he's put up. Beyond the expressions and I really looked hard into his eyes. And what I saw… Coco. He's not… There is a sorrow and a pain in his eyes that I can't even say veterans have seen. And the scars, Oum…" She breathed. "He's been tortured. I can't even imagine…." She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to still the tremors in his lithe frame.

"Velvet." Coco said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. "It's okay. We'll help him."

Velvet shook her head. "I… I don't think he'll accept that. He's… he's like an animal now. Backed into a corner and he's willing and wanting to lash out at anything that threatens him or comes close. If you want to start tearing down his masks and try to show him that, he's only going to lash out and attack you. And Coco," she looked at her leader with a sudden spark of confidence, "he's going to kill you. He's not afraid of death. I can see that clearly, even in dark and murky eyes like he has."

"He's killed before?" Coco asked a new edge in her voice. "Is he dangerous? Should I go tell Ozpin?"

"No… I think he just… He needs something. He's not violent by nature. I think that's just the only solution he sees right now." Velvet explained, leaning into her leader's arms. She needed a bit of stability now. She was shaken, to say the least.

"Then we'll see if we can save that big bad wolf of yours. Hm?" Coco proposed. "If you think he needs it, and he's worth saving, then I trust you. I'll do all I can for him. I promise." She assured her.

Velvet nodded and together they walked out of the infirmary. They would help the scarred and wounded beast that had stumbled into their lives. Whether he liked it or not, Coco would wring his pain out of him one way or another. Velvet just hoped Coco survived the experience.


	4. Caffeine or Die

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter 4**

**Caffeine Or Die**

'I gave the rabbit too much.' He decided as he shouldered the door to the dorms open.

He hadn't expected that to happen. He'd let his guard down when he looked at Velvet. He hadn't expected to see that phantom, especially not _her._ He wasn't quite prepared to live that nightmare again, but he supposed it would visit him tonight regardless.

Nightmares were a regular thing for him at this point.

He hurried down the hall to his room. He needed to cool down. He was frazzled, partly because of Ozpin, and partly because of the haunting image of _her._ Velvet saw much more than he was willing for her to see, and his tongue had been looser to her than it should have been. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't prepared for a mission like this.

To act or even become a different personality wasn't out of his abilities. That was assuming that no one pried, or tried to look further than that shell. They weren't exactly fragile and William could hold them for extended periods of time. He never had anyone look at him like Velvet did. He never had a soul wonder where his scars came from, nor anyone truly examine him. He also never had someone care about his well being. That was new.

Should he act resistant to that? Should he accept it? His thoughts whirled around his frenzied mind as he swiped Roman's scroll in front of his door. The light blinked and the soft click of the lock let him know it opened.

He tore off his jacket the moment he got into the room. It was shortly thrown on top of one of the beds as he kicked off his boots. He left them haphazardly by the door as he pulled off his pants and boxers.

He closed the bathroom door behind him. It took him a moment to turn on the shower and then a few more to find a towel. He had washed at Roman's safehouse, but the day left him exhausted and strained. More than that, he felt like a hot shower would ease his nerves and sooth some of his muscles. They were still tense from his morning fight, and tension had built up the entire week during his surveillance of the Carmine mansion.

He glanced at the mirror, fog creeped down as if to hid his body even from him. He knew the scars without having to look, but there was something interesting in seeing them in a mirror. He was muscular, but not overly so. The faint outline of abs. Arms and legs corded muscle, solid and without give. He had a runner's body, sleek and lethal. His back was the strongest, years of pulling back Moonlight Sonata's bow had developed the muscles far more than even his arms or legs. He was constantly increasing the tension of the bowstring, and tweaking the subtle flexibility of his sword to compensate.

He stepped into the shower, hissing as the hot water burned his skin. He refused to turn it down and instead pushed the pain to the back of his mind as he focused on muscle maintenance. He got in trouble more often than not for neglecting care. There was also his health record. Roman routinely berated him for tearing a muscle, dislocating a limb, or cracking a bone. William knew that wasn't caring about him, that was Roman wanting something done and being unable to assign his favorite lackie to it.

He started with basic stretches for his biceps and forearms. Next were his legs, which needed more care. Even though his back was the most developed, his legs were the most used. Running and navigating difficult alleyways and traversing the assorted fortified buildings in combat gave William quite the exercise. He learned on the fly how to free-run, and while his style wasn't the safest, it gave him a dangerous edge. A double bladed sword that hurt him as often as it helped him slay his enemies.

Slay, what a cruel word to use. He chuckled to himself as he flexed his arms. Some of the scars didn't come from Roman. He cracked his knuckles, examining them as the hot water soothed his back. Scars laced up them, just as they did his chest, but these were self inflicted. All but one. Accidents from the string of Moonlight Sonata before he learned to grasp changing the properties of it.

The one that didn't belong hadn't come from Roman or Moonlight Sonata. It came from his father. William stared at his palms for a moment, then shifted them slightly. The scars would line up, he knew they would. They were from a hunting knife, a large weapon his father had kept on him nearly all the time. William could still see it in his head. A blade six inches long with a serrated back and a heavy crosspiece. The handle encased in little leather discs for grip.

William could still feel it as it sliced through both of his hands, all the way to the crosspiece. The heavy thud as his father carried him back and slammed the knife into the wall. He was balanced on his toes back then, screaming in pain for his mother. His father was careful though. The blade faced down, and all the pressure was on the serrated back.

For a moment, his hands coated themselves in blood. Leaking from the large scar on his hands. It pooled inside of each and every scar, creeping up his arms to his face. William tore his gaze from them, looking up to the shower head. It spewed red as well, and for a moment he was blind. It stuck to him, thick, hot, and smelling of metal. It filled his eyes, coated his body, and spilled into his mouth.

He swallowed the moment of terror, knowing he had to be imagining things. Scars didn't bleed. Blood washed off. Showers didn't use blood for water. He took a deep breath and blinked a few times. He knew how to deal with this, it wasn't the first time his nightmares had bled into reality, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. There were side effects to Roman's methods of reformation.

William was still quick to get out of the shower. The vision didn't fade, but he kept calm even as his nerves stayed on the fritz. He dried off, wiping the blood off his body, digging when it clung to his scars. The towel was stained red in his vision, but he knew it had to still be white. Blood didn't come from showers.

He repeated the logic to himself again, willing the moment away and his emotions to calm. The blood returned to water as he finished drying, and his frayed nerves settled. The scent of it still clung to him, and the smell threatened to make him vomit. He swallowed with some difficulty, taking a moment to rest at the sink. The smell would fade soon enough, just like the vision.

He splashed water onto his face, rubbing at his eyes. He made the mistake of looking up into the mirror. He looked into the clouded image and A thing with pitch black eyes and a wolfish grin looked back. Clothes drenched red, and hair stained by blood.

A gunshot shattered his train of thought. His head snapped to the door, expecting an attacker. His body snapped wire tight with tension as he dropped into a crouch. The bathroom was clear, as was the room. He paused, considering the circumstances. Then it sounded again, coming from the doorway.

He dove for Moonlight Sonata, coming up with it clasped tightly in his grip. The door remained closed with nothing perforating the solid wood. So what had been shot? The gun fired again, but now William saw what it was. The door bowed in slightly, before it did so again two more times.

"William?" Someone called from the other side of the door.

"I'll be there in a moment." He called at the door.

Roman had to have packed something comfortable to wear. The man was all about style and practically with attire. William knew he never went anywhere without a change of clothes, or in the minimum a spare hat and jacket. Roman went through those white jackets faster than William went through targets.

He finally found what he needed in a bundle and pulled on the boxers and sweatpants before making his way to the door. He wrenched it open just as another knock sounded against it.

"What?" He snapped, pursing his lips in disinterest.

It was the blonde from Red's team. Yang, if William recalled her correctly. She was dressed in her school uniform, weapons nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was a requirement for students to store their weapons. Regardless, that would be a regulation that William would refuse to follow. Moonlight Sonata was more than just a weapon.

Yang's gaze dropped as she gave him a once over. She finished back at the top to meet his eyes, then her eyes went back down, tracing his scars with a weighty gaze. William didn't need to consider which scar she was focusing on. The main one on his chest, likely the one that stunned the nurse from the infirmary. William snorted, turning away from the door and heading back to his foot locker.

"What do you want?" He asked impatiently, resisting the urge to make a comment about where her eyes were. Ironic how he was reminding her where his eyes where. William snorted at the thought, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

She seemed to snap out of her stupor when he spoke. She stepped into the room, easing the door shut before speaking. "Professor Ozpin wanted to speak to you about something." She muttered. Her gaze still weighed on his back. He pulled on an undershirt to make her stop staring. It was starting to become uncomfortable.

"About the fight I assume." William replied with a sigh. It would work with his reputation, but at the same time it was inconvenient. Ozpin set him on edge, and made him feel exposed.

A sly grin crossed Yang's lips. "I heard about that. You wiped the floor with Cardin and his goons. They deserved it. You have my full support. Just tell Ozpin like it is. He's a chill guy. He'll understand."

William snorted. "Right." he muttered. "You here to escort me then?" He asked. "Cause I'll need to change."

"Bathroom's over there, unless you feel like giving me a show. You have some nice abs. I'll have to start spreading rumors about you being a lady's man." Yang replied easily.

William furrowed his brow, but decided that she was just being playful. She didn't seem serious about any of it, though she made no move for the door. She planned on staying. Which either meant she was curious about the rest of his scars, or how he looked in general.

He reached down into the footlocker, picking up the pieces of his combat uniform. It was dirty, and he really should wash it. That could wait though, and he had no other suitable clothes to meet the headmaster in. Perhaps he would have to spend some money in Vale and buy an outfit. Stealing was another option, but he didn't need to get caught.

He headed into the bathroom, changing into the pants and shirt. He adjusted them before rolling up the sleeves to show his forearms. Moonlight Sonata slid into the leather holster and he joined Yang a moment later. The Aura Blades went into his pocket. His boots were the last piece he put on.

"Ready?" She asked, her gaze flicking to his forearms.

"Debatable," he muttered, "but I assume waiting only prolongs the inevitable."

He tilted his hand slightly, showing the sides. These scars were his own. Records of his past, and of his experience with Moonlight Sonata. The ones on his chest meant nothing to him. Mistakes and consequences of failing Roman.

"Ozpin's a nice guy. Weird, but nice." Yang replied as she gave him another once over. She headed out, leading him down the hallway at a leisurely pace.

"He doesn't seem human." William replied. "That man is missing something in his tone. There's something ethereal about him." He glanced at Yang.

"I think he's just seen a lot in his years. Nothing special about it really. Experience and practice perhaps." Yang replied as she shoulder checked the door open. The door slammed open and the hinges groaned in protest. Yang didn't seem phased by it, but William took note of it.

She was either putting too much strength into her stride or she wasn't conscious of her full power. Both seemed likely to William. She seemed to flippant in her manner, her walk having far too much flair to it, and the way she tilted her body put a swagger in her step. She had grace in it however, and that turned it from a snide movement to a casual gait. There was still too much waste in her movements though. Roman would have beaten that out of him if he ever did something like that.

"Perhaps." William finally replied, letting the topic drop. He didn't want to talk to Yang. She was too open. There was no challenge in the dialogue. She was too honest, and too naive to pick up or try and decipher his contexts. There was no sense of achievement in weaving a cohesive conversation around her questions and hiding himself behind the words.

Yang didn't seem phased by the lack of conversation. She waved to a few people and greeted most of the people they passed by name. She was popular by William's examination. Then again, in a high school, with a figure like that, it was hard not to be. Yang would have had to wear baggy clothes and sport bras to stay unnoticed to any degree.

She lead him to the elevator, but didn't step inside. She just waved at him to get in. William stepped in, folding his hands behind his back. The elevator doors closed, and he noticed that the top floor button had been pushed in. Yang certainly hadn't pushed it, he'd been watching her hands. Which left him wondering who had.

The elevator rose up the tower. The doors opened and he stepped out. Ozpin was sitting calmly at his desk, a passive look on his face. His assistant, the witch, stood at the ready. She seemed hostile but restrained. She glared at William as he walked into the room.

"Ah, William." Ozpin said, giving William a smile that didn't reach his amber eyes. "I hope you're settling in well. I called to see how you liked your first day of classes."

A loaded question. Ozpin knew how his day went. Otherwise he wouldn't have called him up to the office. The same could have been achieved if he sent a senior student to check on him. William pursed his lips, staring into Ozpin's eyes.

Reading expressions was a talent of William's. He used to gauge Roman's expressions and base his word choice off that. It was a talent that came in handy in more situations than that. Facial expressions gave away intentions, and that became an advantage when it came to combat.

Ozpin's expressions didn't exist. There was nothing behind his amber eyes. Vague feelings, but no motive, no intentions. His face was blank, a hollow expression. William furrowed his brow, focusing on his eyes. After a long moment, he realized he was looking at himself. There was nothing in Ozpin's expression, just a mirror, reflecting William's own thoughts.

William huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think you already know the answer to that Professor."

"You will not talk to Professor Ozpin in such a tone boy!" The witch hissed sharply. "Have respect."

Ozpin held up a hand and his assistant stilled. William could practically feel her rage boil. He didn't need to look at her to read her intentions. If she had to opportunity, she would smash him against the floor.

For a moment, William saw amusement play through Ozpin's expression. A shift in the hollow eyes, and a slight quirk of his lips. Then it vanished, replaced by the same flat look. "Yes. I have been informed of your…" He trailed, seeming to look for a word, "scuffle." He decided. "With Mr. Winchester. I tend to allow students to address their own affairs for the most part. Regardless of whatever problem, there is usually a far more practical solution. Though I would appreciate the quarrels being housed inside of the practice arena, instead of the hallways."

William mulled his words over. Ozpin was willing to let students fight their own battles. There was a reason behind that. No headmaster would simply let students tear each other apart in a school. Unless he was intending for each student to gain experience in each fight, making them stronger as a whole. Classes could only do so much, and creating an atmosphere where fighting could be proposed as a solution to any problem turned it into additional experience and practice before the battlefield.

"I see." William stated as he wondered what else Ozpin could tell him.

"The matter you and Mr. Winchester disagreed on is also part of the reason I called you for." Ozpin added, rising from his chair. "Faunus, while incorporated into Beacon Academy and welcomed with open arms, they are not fully accepted by certain members of the student body. I am pleased to know your opinion on the matter, and how you are more than willing to defend them against transgressions."

Ozpin would expect him to make a reply about why he defended Faunus. His reply should be crafted around it. Something slightly personal, something moderately revealing. William opened his mouth, but froze, the words halted at the back of his throat. Ozpin's eyes bore into his with a sudden strength that seemed to go beyond the man's mortal frame. The lies slide down the back of William's throat and he coughed to cover his hesitance.

William swallowed, clearing his throat for more time. He couldn't lie. Ozpin would see right through it. Ozpin likely knew exactly what was a truth and what was a lie already. "Faunus are more genuine." William replied. "They tend to be more open to certain things, having already been judged and cast aside for their own circumstances." William finally managed. His voice was weak, startling him. That was the truth. And yet it felt heavy to admit.

Ozpin's gaze remained on him for a moment longer than necessary. Then he walked around his desk and leaned back against the edge of it. His palms flat on the desk as he regarded William with the same intensity Roman did. A piercing gaze, with weight that could crush William's skeleton and leave him a puddle of flesh and blood on the floor. Ozpin's gaze had all of that, and none of it. Roman was violent, but restrained. Ozpin's was forceful, but there were qualities of it that William couldn't understand.

"How insightful of you." Ozpin finally said, his gaze shifting off of him. William felt the air rush back into his lungs, only now realizing that he had forgotten to breath. "There is far more to you than you like to let on. Isn't there?" The comment was casual, but the tone and the word choice in it made William think otherwise. Ozpin knew William wasn't just a regular student, or a kid looking for redemption from Vacuo.

"Good or bad?" William replied, broaching the subject. If Ozpin considered him a threat it would make it increasingly difficult to act around school. He had originally planned to remain undetected by Ozpin, but that seemed impossible. The man looked at him and it felt like William was stripped bare. No mask, no facade, nothing would fool him. The man simply could see through it and William didn't know how to deal with something as powerful as that.

Roman had warned him that Ozpin was perceptive. This was beyond that. Under Ozpin's gaze William felt like a pawn. Roman always had a plan, but the pieces were varied and sometimes fell into place as the game was being played. Ozpin's game had been set since the beginning of time. Every piece mapped out and every move predicted. William was just another piece on the board, and Ozpin seemed to know exactly how he would move.

"Yet to be determined." The answer made William freeze. Did that mean Ozpin was giving him a chance? Or did that mean Ozpin was simply waiting for the right moment to kill him? "Rest assured Mr. Lance." William grimaced at his last name. "If you pose a threat of any direct nature to my students or the citizens of Vale." Ozpin leaned forward and the room suddenly grew ice cold. The air thickened, and time itself weighed on William's shoulders. "I will not hesitate to dispose of you far quicker than you can imagine. Do you understand me?"

William wanted to speak. He tried to, but his tongue was stuck to his mouth. His lips sealed shut. He managed a nod, and the weight vanished. He swallowed, and then reinforced his nod. "I think you mistake me for something I'm not." He muttered, and even to him his voice sounded weak. "You think I am a wolf, ready to strike, rather than a pup waiting to learn."

Ozpin smirked at the statement. Emotion didn't appear in the man's eyes, despite the expression. "Perhaps." He agreed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But a pup can often grow far more deadly than his father," Ozpin gave him a pointed look, "or uncle." He swept his hand across his desk and picked up a coffee mug.

"You give me too much credit. My uncle is a powerful man." William insisted, forcing his lips into a small smile. "But I appreciate your attempt to flatter me. He remains out of reach for a pup of my skills."

"You don't give yourself enough credit." Ozpin replied. "You are quite skilled in combat, among other professions." There was a smirk as he said that line. Did he already know what William could do? "But none of those are why I called you here. I was asked to propose an idea to you by Miss Adel. You helped out her teammate, Miss Scarlatina, this morning."

"I see, and the proposal?" William asked, leaning forward in his chair, clasping his hands together. Despite his calm exterior, his palms were getting sweaty. Ozpin put him off kilter. He didn't know how to take some of his off-handed comments. Roman never gave him credit, it was either he failed or he didn't. There was no 'good job' when William finished a task.

The elevator chimed, and Ozpin seemed content to wait. William was not. He couldn't bear another moment under the man's gaze. He looked too closely for things William wasn't prepared to hide. There were somethings that William still couldn't hide, even after years of working on his masks and facades. Ozpin was picking them out as if William's defenses didn't even exist.

William recognized the girl who walked in. It was hard not to. She was a memorable person. Her beret was enough to set her off as different, but William remembered her for the simple reason that she pulled him up with one hand. There was something superhuman about her strength.

"Coco." He greeted as she walked in. Perhaps walked in was the wrong word. There was a swagger in her step, a subtle flaunt and confidence in her gait that drew William's eyes to her hips. They were full, supple, and her butt complimented that.

William was willing to bet she was good at yoga too. Which meant she would be decent at stealth missions. Flexibility and solid muscle tone were important when holding awkward positions.

"William." She greeted, "Professor Ozpin." She nodded at the man slightly.

"Talk to William as you please." Ozpin replied. "Both of your are dismissed, as I believe it is team CFVY's lunch hour. Excluding Miss Scarlatina." Ozpin waved at them.

"Come on." Coco said, impatience in her voice as she grabbed William's bicep, forcefully jerking him back towards the elevator. William quickly fell into step with her, and she mashed the ground floor button.

"So what's this about?" William asked as the doors closed. "Is Ozpin setting me up with you so I don't cause trouble, or did you actually have a proposal for me?" He looked sideways at the girl.

There was power in her frame. Her muscles were sleek, and the school uniform did well to hide the definition of her biceps and core. Her figure was the result of training and muscle, not dieting and genetics. She likely wasn't overly muscled, but toned, going for a sleek look that would match her personality.

"No. There's an actual offer William." She assured him. "I'm just hungry and you're going to deal with it." Coco replied, storming through the hallways at a heightened pace. "I wanted you to join my team for a mission tomorrow. It may be an extended one though, and I know you don't have team experience, so I wanted to know your opinion on the matter before I had Ozpin put you on orders for it."

"A team op?" William asked. "What's the job?" He ignored the itching in his palms, where the scars were. Velvet may be a problem. The rest of her team shouldn't trigger any memories. Coco was nothing like any of his past teammates.

"We're going to a forest outside of Vale. Apparently the Grimm infestation has gotten out of hand. Ozpin wants us to thin the herd and clear out a nice section of it. Nothing extremely out of the ordinary." Coco explained, shouldering open the door to the courtyard.

William matched her pace, a step behind it to watch her a bit more closely without being too obvious. "So it's just Grimm? I don't really have experience with that." He confessed. "I haven't killed many Grimm in all honesty."

"That's fine. They aren't hard. The forest should have a handful of Beowolves, and maybe a couple of Ursa. Nothing out of hand, and nothing unusual. Though a Beringel has been spotted there." Coco explained.

The terms went over William's head, but he grasped the meaning by her tone. The mission would be mostly light enemies, maybe a few shocktroopers, and then there was a slim possibility of something more dangerous. He nodded. "I'm up for it." It would give him time to examine another team's fighting capabilities and give Roman a report on them. Team CFVY was a senior team, or at least a more seasoned team. They could prove difficult to Roman's operations if they delved into it.

"So you'll join us?" Coco said, her tone taking a note of excitement. "I'll inform Ozpin, but for now you have a few hoops to jump through. I need to know what you can do, and how you mesh with my team. Sound fair? I'll introduce them to you all now." She stopped in front of a pair of double doors.

The cafeteria. William hummed, recalling the dent he put in the wall with his face. Would that already have been repaired, or would it still be there? He smiled as she pushed open the door, and headed to one of the tables.

Her teammates were already sitting there, waiting on them. William joined them, taking a seat next to Coco, who sat across from a boy with tanned skin. A larger man sat across from William, an oriental look in his face and his posture.

"This is Yatsuhashi, but we call him Yatsu." Coco said, nodded to the oriental man.

He had black hair, with a large frame. William couldn't tell if he was all muscle or a mixture of muscle and fat. His arms were definitely strong, William could see the shift and stretch of the fabric covering his arms as he extended his hand toward William.

William took his hand, squeezing it a bit harder than necessary. The man doubled that strength with a pleasant smile. He nodded at William, but didn't speak. William could respect a man of few words. Fewer secrets existed about a man who kept his lips sealed, and fewer loose ends existed when dealing with one. They carried their burdens on their own shoulders.

"And this is my partner, Fox." Coco added, smiling a bit broader at the tanned boy.

He glanced at Coco, and William saw his eyes more clearly. The pupils were white, blending into the rest of his eye. He was blind. His movements were hesitant, and overtly careful. He extended his hand out, gently offering his hand above the glasses on the table.

"You're blind." William replied bluntly, taking his hand and squeezing it.

William felt shivers go down his spine as he felt the sudden burst of bloodlust and rage flicker through Fox's Aura. His hand crushed William's, and William returned the strength, matching him. He grinned, feeling the excitement bubble up in him.

"And?" Fox hissed. There was challenge in his voice. He was more than willing to fight about it. He had been challenged before, and he would not be beaten easily.

His arms were scarred, and William could only assume that they were from battle. He was a hunter, and a student at Beacon. His skills had to be above average, and there was little doubt in William's mind that Fox could fight quite well. He was blind, which limited his options, but William had a clue. His biceps and triceps were fully developed and his forearms were muscled as well. He had to use a close range weapon, something that turned his disadvantage to one that sight was negligible in the fact of feeling and reacting to instinct and experience. He had to be team CFVY's close combat member.

William hummed softly as he considered his options. "Nothing of it." Coco and Yatsuhashi had frozen, waiting for his reply. This was a hurdle for their team. If William didn't get along with Fox, then Coco would likely pass on taking him on the mission. "I feel like fighting blind is something no ordinary man could even conceive. To meet someone who does, and obviously does it well, interests me." William replied.

There was a shift in Fox's arm. His grip relaxed, but there was still tension in his shoulders. He was still on edge, but he accepted William's comment. "I'm more than capable in my trade." Fox replied. "I don't need to see to beat you in a match."

William smiled at that, a mixture between one of amusement and a genuine one. Fox was not a killer, but he was someone who wasn't afraid to back up his threats. William could sense that much.

"Of course not." William replied. "You have an edge no one has even remotely considered. You fight blind, using sounds and sensing Aura or feeling the opponents motions through the air. Hypersensitivity. You could fight on par with a Faunus in pitch black environment and not even notice. You may well fight better than they can. Your only downfall would be snipers, or perhaps a sonic weapon. Anything with noise, but if it affects you, then any normal fighter would be as well."

He didn't need to look to know that Coco had relaxed. The aggression melted off Fox's body. He nodded, looking at his partner. "I like him." He finally stated before turning back to his food. He took a bite and chewed before continuing. "Testing him?" He asked.

"Naturally," Coco replied, "but lunch first. I'm starving. Did you take care of Cardin?" She asked, chowing down on her plate.

Fox simply smiled. That was all William needed to see to know that Cardin wouldn't be messing with Velvet any time soon. There was even a chance he wouldn't be eating solid foods for a while to go with it. There was something about Fox's personality that made William itch with anticipation. He wanted to fight the blind man, even once.

"Testing?" William asked. "Fighting?"

"And understanding your semblance. It cancels your Aura doesn't it?" Coco asked. "Velvet said when you shielded her you got hit and were bleeding, so you're fighting defenseless as long as your semblance is activated."

William nodded, swallowing his bite of salad. "Yep. I assume you want to full brief on it?" He asked, glancing at her.

"Naturally." Coco replied. "Our lives could depend on it in the field."

"You flatter yourself. This mission is nothing too dangerous." William replied. "Grimm can't shoot back. Give yourself range and the difficulty drops drastically." He paused, realizing he'd replied without thought. He had replied to that in the same manner he would have if Roman had said it.

Coco narrowed her eyes, but before she could ask anything William flicked his hand out. His Aura slid off his body, coiling up like a spool of wire. A wire shot out of his finger, an inch above the table top. He wriggled it around for them to see.

"My semblance is materialization, but it's not like I can simply pump my Aura into creating something like a weapon. My semblance uses wires to construct itself, so I'm restricted to things that I have either constructed thousands of times, and I can meld the wires into a solid structure, like an arrow, or things that require tension to hold themselves together. Either way, the construction itself is still done with wire of two varying types."

"Loops and wires." Fox put in suddenly. "A straight wire, or one that loops around and you can control the loop radius."

William paused, wondering when Fox noticed that. Had he been watching him fight Cardin? Did he see it in his fight with RWBY, or had he simply guessed with how William manipulated it?

"Yes." William confessed. "That's right. Loops rely on tension for them to retain any strength. They usually serve as anchors for different structures." William explained. "Wires are freer, and I can manipulate them how I like, even though it takes more energy."

"Like shields." Coco put in. "What else can you make?"

The wires retracted, and William spread his palm. Wires collected in it, coiling around rapidly, expanding out. A moment later he held a broadhead arrow. He held it out, and Fox took it, running his fingers over it.

"As long as my semblance is activated, it will hold it's shape, and as long as it's still connected to my hand, I can adjust the shape." William explained. "After it leaves my hands though, that's it. It will disappear after a few moments, or upon impact."

"I want to see it in action." Coco stated, a mischievous grin on her lips.

William considered it, looking to the others. Fox seemed to shake his head, but the movement stopped as soon as William turned his head to regard him. Yatsuhashi simply sighed, pushing his plate to the center of the table. Fox followed suit, until it was only William who still had his plate in front of him.

He looked up at Coco, who had risen and taken a step towards the door. "You're testing me?" He asked.

"Obviously. Hurry up." Coco urged, cocking her hip, her handbag swinging easily with the movement. "We don't have all day, and if we don't hurry someone will get it before we do. And I am not a woman that likes waiting for what she wants."

William hummed, taking another bite of the meat on his tray before getting up. He walked with them, taking the time to analyse each of their gaits and walks. Coco and Fox had a determined, solid gait. The blind man's feet were certain, despite the effort he put into making them look hesitant. Every so often his feet would gain an air of confidence, before jerking back, restrained. Coco's were strong, and she flaunted herself in her walk. She was confident in her power and status. A cock of her hip, the subtle shift of her hips as she walked. Yastuhashi's were neither. His strides were long, but casual, doing little more than keeping up with Fox's pace. He was passive, and it showed in the ease and lax in his movements.

The question was, who would he be fighting? Yatushashi would be easy to deal with. The man was strong, but his muscles weren't built for speed. He would be a heavy hitter, but that only mattered if he could hit William.

Fox would be a hard fight. He was blind, and obviously their team's close quarters combat expert. His scars would be from experience, near misses and bloody failures. Out of all of them, Fox may be the worst set up for the test.

Coco was a mystery. William couldn't get a read off of her yet. Her weapon wasn't obvious, but some of her abilities were. She was strong, which leaned to her weapon being large, or heavy.

"Are you ready for this?" Fox asked as Coco pushed open the arena doors.

"Will you be my opponent?" William replied without meeting the blind man's 'gaze'.

Fox grinned, a dark look. "No. You'll be fighting Coco. You'll enjoy it."

William hummed as he followed Coco down into the arena, squaring up with her. There was a good distance between them, a solid twenty feet to give them both starting room. Coco looked back at Velvet, who gave her a thumbs up.

"You're too interested in me for this to be casual." William told her as he eased Moonlight Sonata out of it's holster.

Coco smirked, the expression magnified as she pushed her sunglasses down. The timer started counting down as Coco set a hand on her purse. "I'd just like to see what I'm workin' with. You faired quite well against team RWBY. I think if you were serious you could have managed all of them, one way or another."

"You give me too much credit." William replied, anxiously spinning Moonlight Sonata around his hands.

"You don't give yourself enough." She shot back. The line struck a chord with him, reminding him what Ozpin had said.

William narrowed his gaze. "What are you trying to figure out?" He crouched low, his eye on the timer as he reached out, resting one hand on the ground as the other cocked Moonlight Sonata back behind him. It looked like a modified runner's stance, but with a far more dangerous intention. William wasn't going to be playing around this match.

Coco smirked, eyeing him up again as the round started. Her weapon unfolded in an instant, a drum magazine unfolding as William kicked off, rushing her at a dead sprint. The barrels shot out and she squeezed the trigger.

William cast out his semblance as the first of the bullets filled the air. The mesh he wove exploded, the wire pulled out of tension and his entire design unraveled. It couldn't keep up with the massive force of her onslaught. He slid, bullets whizzing above his hand. Coco met his eye, and he realized she was playing with him.

Coco had known that he didn't have his Aura around him to protect him. She was goading him into action, using her fire to entice him to attack or defend with his semblance. He snarled, diving to the side as he flipped Moonlight Sonata around. He came to his feet, slowing to a halt. Coco's fire stopped a moment later, just before the bullets churned him up into pulp.

William glanced at her, examining her cocky gaze. He gritted his teeth. He wasn't someone to be looked down upon. He hated pity.

"You'll regret playing with me." He warned her.

Coco's smirk bloomed into a full fledged grin. "I hope you show me that then. You better not be empty taunts boy. My Velvet's got high hopes for you."

William's grip tightened on the bow. He cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck. "Then you better not be slacking. You may die."

He drew and fired the bow before Coco could pull the trigger. The arrow didn't even fully materialize on the bowstring. William didn't need it to. It formed in the air, a blue blur as it struck her weapon. It untangled, the shaft uncoiling into hundreds of threads as the head buried into the ground. William clenched his off hand, and the cords pulled tight, yanking the weapon's barrels to the ground.

"Fun." Coco said as she tapped it.

The threads tangled up with the mechanism, and it refused to budge. William drew another arrow to his lip.

"One." He said easily, averting his aim and shooting it past it. It drove into the concrete wall. He flipped Moonlight Sonata again as he walked towards her. "You're not so tough."

Coco smiled. "Let's see how well your theory goes." She said, putting her hands up.

He stabbed his sword into the ground just before he met her. She struck first, throwing her hand out to hit him in the face. He ducked under it, his focus on her legs. He kicked at her heels and she stumbled, starting to fall.

William cocked his fist back as she fell. She caught herself on her arms and lashed out with a kick into his side. He took it without a sound as he punched her in the thigh, knocking her leg back. He dropped, leading with his elbow.

Coco rolled clear as William elbow dropped her. They came up together, squaring off evenly for a moment before William waded back in. He led with a full body spin kick, rotating his body around as he swung his leg down at her head.

She started to block it, but sidestepped at the last moment. William's heel smashed into the concrete, cracking it. He pivoted off it, lashing out with a side kick and then leading into a butterfly kick which pulled him out of her range.

Coco managed to block all but the butterfly, which caught her twice, once on the side of the head, and again as his back foot came around, on her arm. William flexed his legs, wringing them out as if he was just stretching.

"You're good with kicks." Coco noted.

"I have steel heels for a reason." William replied evenly. "But you didn't challenge me to see my fighting style did you?" He smiled now, his eyes a lighter shade of green. "You're playing around as much as I am. You want to know who I am."

Coco hummed, then turned away. "I suppose I do." She replied, heading back to her back, taking hold of the handle. William dispelled his semblance and she picked it back up. "If I was serious you'd already be scraps on the floor.

"If this was a real fight you wouldn't see me coming." William assured her as he retrieved his sword. "Did you get enough?" He asked, making a point not to sheath his blade.

Coco lashed out suddenly, her weapon collapsing into the form of a handbag. William caught the blow of his forearm. It went out wide, surprising William as he skidded back from the force of the blow. He clicked his tongue, shaking his arm out. It was going numb.

He stalked towards Coco, cracking his neck. She still wore that playful smile. She didn't know he could have already killed her twice now. He could deploy his semblance from his hands and feet and stringing a garotte wire between his legs was as easy as breathing. Butterfly kicks were great for that type of maneuver.

She was testing his weapon skill now. William lead with a one handed slash, diagonal up her body. She parried it, knocking it aside with a sweep of her handbag. William let her, sliding into the gap in her guard, his off hand dipping into his pocket and pulling an Aura Blade free. She jumped back, but not before William slashed up across her chest with the dagger. She clutched her chest, looking stunned.

"Good?" William asked easily, returning the Aura Blade to his pocket.

"I expected nothing less from the man whose eyes held such strength." Coco replied. "You've got what it takes to keep up with my team. I like it." She shifted, adopting a tentative stance, a slight cock in her hips, a casual head cock, but her eyes were looking away.

William cocked his hip, giving her a disapproving look. "You have something else to say." He informed her. "And it's rather negative. I can read it in your eyes."

"Is that really how you fight?" Coco asked after a moment. "You don't really guard yourself well. It's almost like you want to get hit, or you're trying to cut it as close as you can."

William shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I guard myself well enough." He didn't, and he knew that he didn't. He had lost the part of his mind that told him it was dangerous. Pain was a state of being, not a punishment. Gunshots were simply a hinderance, a lost limb would be crippling, but he would survive. If he was lucky he would bleed out and die, and from that death he would find escape.

Coco didn't seem satisfied by his answer, but she didn't press the issue. She just sighed and headed back to her team, leaving William standing in the arena. He watched her go, waving as they left the building. He didn't want to spend more time talking to them. He had enough on his mind.

He set back to the dorms, retiring to his room. He set Moonlight Sonata on the bed, knowing he should run maintenance over the blade. It had seen heavy use today. Despite that, he set it aside for tomorrow as he took out his scroll. He sent a text to Roman.

"Sparred with your problem team, and team leader of CFVY. Coco." He sent it.

He got a reply a few minutes later, which told him Roman wasn't on a job at the moment. 'Report?' Roman was always terse.

William pursed his lips, then gave Roman a brief outline of their fighting styles. Ruby tended to lean towards a speed build, using leverage and her own inertia to utilize her scythe. Weiss was more difficult. Blake was good, but there was a roughness to her style, a tentativeness in her blade that stopped her from putting any real amount of force behind each blow. That could just be with human though. Yang was a powerhouse, but could be taken down with enough technique. William didn't forget to mention the odd red eyed effect. Then he gave a brief on Coco. She was strong, especially at range. Her short range was weak, but her strength compensated somewhat.

When he finished typing it up and sent it, he headed a knock on the door.

"It's open." He called with a heavy sigh. He didn't want any guests tonight. He had a mission in the morning with CFVY, and he had no desire to deal with anyone else. Velvet had shaken him up, and he was still feeling the effect. It was difficult to wear a mask when it was chipped.

Ruby stepped in, a look of glee on her face. She seemed giddy about something, though it could be her natural expression. William had never seen a person smile so much. Neo was the only person he saw regularly smiling, but usually there was drastically different reasons for her smile.

Ruby just seemed genuinely happy. All the time. It was kind of giving William the creeps.

"Hey William!" She greeted. "Come here! We have a-" She snapped her mouth shut, looking embarrassed. "It's a... Uh. It's umm… Just come on!" She urged him.

He got up, glad that he'd chosen to leave his Aura Blades in his pocket. He was wary of her smile. It set him on edge. He followed her down the hall, until she stopped in front of a door. She squealed excitedly, urging him to open it.

William gave her a curious glance, wondering what sort of thing lay beyond the door. He grabbed the door, one of his hands edging towards his pocket. He threw it open, finding the room dark.

It exploded in light, a blur of red flashing by his side. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the people appeared in the light. He recognized them in an instant, Blake, Yang, Weiss, as well as four other faces. Fear grabbed his heart, closing around it. Then it cleared, his symptoms contained for a moment.

"Surprise!" They chorused. Someone had a cake balanced on the nightstand. They had pulled it out into the middle of the room. "Welcome to Beacon!"

William glanced at them, observing their expressions for a moment before he pushed a smile to his lips. He slid his thumbs into his pocket. "What's this?" He asked. "Cake?"

Ruby nodded, her smile nearly stretching across her face now. "It's a party! We wanted you to feel welcome on your first day!"

William hummed, chuckling lightly at them. "This is too much." He remembered what a party was. His mom threw him one, or maybe two. The memory was fuzzy at best. Roman didn't have parties, not unless they were with clients and involved beer, wine, and business. Junior threw a party every now and then. It made sense that a party for students would be scaled down from what Juniors threw though.

"Thank you." He finally said. Ruby zipped around, handing out pieces of cake on little napkins. He barely caught his when she dropped it into his hands. Rose petals drifted in her wake. He flicked one way.

She was too innocent, William decided. Too naive to the way of the world. She was sweet and kind. He wouldn't be surprised if she baked the cake herself. Blake didn't seem like the type to bake, neither did Weiss . Yang might have helped, but he was sure Ruby was the one who put the whole thing together. All for a kid she didn't even know.

He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. She was adorable. She introduced him to everyone. Team JNPR, which considered of an awkward blonde, Jaune, a red head, Phyrra, a girl who rivaled Ruby in terms of energy, Nora, and a cool laid back guy with a pink streak in his hair, Ren. William greeted all of them with a grin and a nod of his head.

She was too kind. Too pure. Roman had mentioned recruiting her. Ruby would never fall from her state of morals. There was only right and wrong in her eyes. Darkness and light, and she belonged firmly in the light. She wouldn't even consider killing a man, William could see it in her eyes.

William sighed, setting his cake down. He was going to hate killing her.


	5. Fine Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco pulls William for a mission  
> And Ruby chances upon William's path just before hand. Giving him an early opportunity for Roman's plans.

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter 5**

**Fine Lines**

William woke up screaming. He tore off the covers, throwing them off the bed as he scrambled out of it and collapsed on the ground. He caught himself on all fours, retching into the hardwood floor. The dorm floor was carpet, so when had hardwood floors been installed?

He looked up, and his room had vanished. He was in a hallway now, ominous shadows lingering about the bare walls despite there being no light. A figure stalked towards him, a short hefty knife in his hand that glinter off non-existent light.

William bashed his head into the floor. The pain woke him the rest of the way up, and the hardwood floors bled back to a soft creme colored carpet. The room expanded, the shadows lifting. He looked up fearfully, and saw the figure looming over him. He met the figure’s eyes, seeing the cruelty in them, and the apathy hidden by it. Then the vision vanished, and William saw past him. The window welcomed his gaze, and looming in the center of the frame was the full moon.

Ragged gasps wrenched at the air when he finally remembered how to work his lungs. His heart was hammering into his ribcage, threatening to burst out of his chest and spill out onto the floor. William almost hoped it would as he gazed at the moon.

The solidity of the moon calmed his frayed nerves, and he drew a bit of comfort from its consistency. The moon had kept him company on many long nights, and had watched all his crimes and sins. William drew his legs up to his chest, letting the moonlight illuminate him as he stared up into it, focusing on his breathing.

He was drenched in cold sweat, made colder by the night’s air, and William shivered as he slowly got to his feet. He wouldn’t be returning to sleep soon. He had no desire to attempt to do so, or even risk returning to that nightmare he just escaped from.

Instead he headed to the shower, tearing off his clothes and throwing them in a soggy pile by the bathroom door. He turned the water to hot, making sure it was steaming before he stepped in.

The water scalded his skin, a physical pain to match the emotional trauma that wracked his brain. The difference was that he could deal with physical pain. Roman had conditioned him to resist more than a few torture techniques, and physical pain was an old friend to William now. It was easy for him to detach himself from it and ignore most types of pain. His mind on the other hand, was fragile from it, and broken. So William developed other tricks to supplement it, to mask his reactions and emotions. His mind could play all the tricks on him that it wanted, but if he focused solely on the physical he could make it through. If he lost himself in the pain it would fade.

William closed his eyes, ignoring the feeling of hot breath on his shoulder. He ignored his father’s voice whispering in his ear. He focused on the way his skin screamed as the hot water battered against it. The way it burned and turned his tanned flesh a pinker hue. The illusion of calm didn’t last long.

William picked up the soap, and instead of a feeling, his brain threw him a memory. It caught him off guard, the way his mom’s mouth was open as his father plunged the knife into her chest. How she couldn’t even scream, but her eyes locked with his, pleading with him for a solitary moment.

The soap tumbled out of his hands. His knees buckled. He kept himself from falling, catching himself with his arms on the dial for the shower. He straightened up, swallowing thickly as he finished washing up. He shivered slightly, feeling anxiety creep into his mind. He needed a distraction.

Team CFVY.

It was better than thinking of the past though, so William entertained the thought. He stepped out of the shower and started drying off to get dressed.

William would have to deceive all of them. Yatsuhashi seemed the easiest to deceive. Coco would be the second, but Fox and Velvet were more difficult. William wouldn’t be surprised if Fox could detect his breathing, and any aberrations in it's normal rhythm. He couldn’t stutter or trip up. Any lies he told had to be clear and without hesitation. Velvet would be the next obstacle. From Williams experience, Rabbit Faunus had an exceptionally good grasp of people's true character and if William played too far off of what she saw, then he would have to deal with Coco’s questions.

He allowed his mind to run through a series of thoughts and worries. It kept it from considering other things as he pulled on his combat uniform. He would have to adjust a few things on it. He wouldn’t be running stealth missions at school, and while wearing all black certainly fit the persona he was going for, William wanted a slightly lighter color to make up his wardrobe.

Coco seemed like the likely choice to ask for fashion advice. She seemed to be the one that cared most about it, and could likely outfit William in a stylish uniform. So long as she didn’t do a strip search and inquire into everything about his life he was fine. Even if she did, William figured he could mix truth and lies well enough to fool her.

He picked up his scroll, sending Coco a text that he would be in the training arena. He needed to work off his anxiety. There were only three good ways to do that. One of them was illegal, and another he couldn’t do because he didn’t have a cigarette.

William opted for the last method, grabbing Moonlight Sonata and dropping it into the holster on his belt. He stopped once more at the window, looking out into the lightning darkness. The moon still looked back at him, hovering over the edge of the horizon. It took him another moment of staring to realize that stars had accompanied it tonight. He snorted, shaking his head. Stars were inconsistent lights that would glow and fade. The moon was always there though, at least it would watch over him.

He cast off the additional thoughts about the moon and the stars. They could be saved from a lonely night on a rooftop. For now, he needed the rush of adrenaline and the heat of battle to comfort him.

The training arena was open, and he pushed open the door expecting silence. He was wrong, instead he heard the sharp reports of a high caliber rifle. He pursed his lips in distaste, but strolled to the overlooking platform of the arena, leaning against the waist high railing. The arena was set lower than the stands, a calculated design, giving the observes a better view of the fight, and keeping most projectiles aimed away from the audience.

A blur of red shot around the room, rose petals trailing after it. Another round went off, and William saw the hole appear, cracking the concrete in the far wall. The blurr shifted trajectory, coming straight for him. He took a precautionary step back, but found it unnecessary.

The shape came into focus as it slowed down, flipping mid air, slamming the scythe blade into the edge of the arena, and balancing on the shaft of the weapon. The force of the maneuver tilted the weapon forward until she was leaning comfortably over William, her hand holding her at the top. She peered down at him, the small waist high wall around the arena providing her a height advantage she didn’t usually have.

Ruby smiled down at him, her silver eyes looking into his sea green ones for a moment before she spoke. “What brings you out here so early?” She asked pleasantly, seeming far too awake for the early hour.

“Can’t sleep,” William answered honestly, “and training has always helped ease my nerves. I have a mission with team CFVY later today.”

She nodded, leaning further over him as she inspected him. She grinned, the expression far too bright for William’s mood. It spoke of untarnished innocence and purity. She had yet to accept the cruelty of the world. That would be a difficult challenge for her to deal with.

“Do you want to spar with me? Weiss said it would be a good idea to try and fight people with different styles.” Ruby replied, hopefulness nearly gushing out of her voice. “And you didn’t really fight us fair and square earlier either!”

William’s hand drifted down to Moonlight Sonata’s hilt, caressing the pommel for a moment as he thought about his answer. He could refuse, or he could fight her. There was no one else in the building, he could kill her now if he tried.

“Sounds good to me.” He replied, imitating her expression.

He jumped past her, rolling as he hit the ground to dissipate the force. He came up on his feet, jogging a few more feet before drawing his sword, spinning it experimentally.

“Come on then little rose.” He called. “I don’t have all day to play.” He faced Ruby, who was still perched on her scythe. The wall of the arena afforded her an advantage, but she would have to pry her weapon out of the wall before she could move.

Ruby hummed, shifting her grip on the scythe as she arched her back, prying it free of the concrete as if it was barely holding it. She dropped to the ground, squaring up with him a few paced away as she twirled her weapon before planting it into the ground.

“I’m ready when you are.” She replied with a giddy smile, her eyes on his weapon.

“You’re not moving yet.” William replied pointedly, tentatively easing Moonlight Sonata back. He didn’t like it when people stared too long at it. He knew the blade was clean, but he had the nagging feeling he always missed flecks of blood on the silver blade.

Ruby cocked an eyebrow at him, almost as if to warn him. She took off at a blur, wrenching her weapon out of the ground and barreling towards him at a breakneck speed. She was going for a head on attack. It was fitting of her personality, but naive, and crude.

William pivoted, a wire wrapping around his back foot and anchored into the ground. He thrusted his lead foot forward, twisting his hips and putting his weight behind the blow. The scythe blade bit into his steel heel, but halted, sparking and sliding free as Ruby swept past, continuing her run.

William whipped his head around, his eyes tracking the blur of rose petals as Ruby rushed around the arena. He could throw his semblance out, but he didn’t truly have anything to anchor it to. Ruby’s speed was enough to tear his wires out of any half-assed anchor he made on the fly as well.

Which meant he would have to wait for her to attack, or go on the offensive with the bow. William smiled. He hated defensive methods.

He flipped his sword around as Ruby came around for another pass. He saw it coming, the scythe blade materialized outside the blur of red as she slowed down. Her foot touched the ground again just as William rolled backwards, the blade whizzing over his head as Moonlight Sonata transformed.

His grip tightened on the bow, his semblance stringing the weapon even as Ruby slowed down and engaged him in close combat. She whipped the scythe around, aiming for his neck. He caught the heavy blade with one of the limbs of the bow. The force numbed his hand, but it left her open for a fraction of a second.

He kicked her, pivoting on his back foot again and slamming his foot into her open side with a side kick. His steel heel knocked her back, and she appeared stunned. He didn’t come out unscathed though, her scythe blade had clipped his shoulder, slicing into his shoulder. He canceled his semblance, letting his Aura stop the bleeding and start the mending process.   
“You should try a bit harder.” William informed her as Ruby steadied herself. “If you don’t come at me to kill, you won’t be winning this spar.”

Ruby seemed to consider it, adjusting her back foot and shifting her scythe position. William’s Aura coiled around his body, and the bleeding stopped on his shoulder. A collection of blue threads stitched his shoulder wound closed, pulling it together. He rolled it, then shifted Moonlight Sonata to his left hand, flexing his right as he lined up with Ruby.

She shot forward, a blur of red that would reach him in milliseconds. He planted his sword, jumping as she came near. Her scythe met his blade, nearly tearing it out of the ground. She jerked forward, unprepared for the resistance. His hand encompassed her face, closing around it as he pushed her back. Her momentum drove her legs forward, and his hand drove her head back.

They toppled over as one, Ruby’s head smacking into the ground. William planted his foot on her wrist, keeping the weapon hand down as he leaned over her. Her pulled an Aura Knife out with the other hand, the edge buzzing brightly as he put his Aura into it.

He pressed it against her neck, humming softly as she shook her head, stunned. “Game set and match.” He muttered softly, keeping the blade at her throat.

She laughed, smiling at him. “Wow, I didn’t think you could keep up with that.”

William felt a sour taste creep up into his mouth. There was no witness for her death if he killed her now, but it wouldn’t be right either. She trusted him. Even though they just met, she trusted him to put the knife away and help her up. He could see it, even as confusion started to trickle into her silver eyes.

She was too pure.Too clean and untainted. William couldn’t stand it. He pulled away, grabbing her by her bicep and pulling her to her feet.

“Your trajectory is too obvious.” William replied sharply, turning away as he sheathed the weapon. “Even with your scythe, the alteration in your path is pretty clear. Work on it, and someone like me won’t be able to even touch you.”

“Oh.” Ruby said, seeming surprised and a little embarrassed. “Okay. Thanks.” She smiled, a big one full of the innocence and naivety that William sorely lacked. She was oblivious that William could have killed her a moment ago.

“Be more careful in combat.” William added as he started walking to the stairs. “If you’re not careful you’ll get killed. I certainly almost did.”

“Nope.” Ruby replied with a smile that William could practically feel. She was on his heels, skipping behind him, her hands clasped behind her back. “You couldn’t have. You’re too kind.”

The comment made William snort. He turned away, unable to meet her gaze as the doors opened. Coco walked in, all dressed up and ready to shoot. Her handbag rested on her hip, cocked to one side to accent her figure.

“There you are wolfie.” Coco mused, glancing between him and Ruby. “Come along. No need to eat little red riding hood.” She turned on her heels, walking back out the door.

“Later rose.” William muttered as he walked out the door, leaving Ruby behind. She couldn't belong in this world. She was too soft, and once exposed to the rigors of life, she would fall apart. William could see it happening, the mental breakdown when she realized that the kind thing was not always right, and the cruel thing not always wrong. A wicked grin flickered across his lips. That would destroy her far more effectively than he or Roman ever could.

He followed Coco out the doors and across campus to a waiting Bullhead. The others were already there, waiting by the loading doors. Yatsuhashi wore a green outfit, a heavy scaled pauldron on his shoulder, with his sword strapped to his back. Fox wore a sleeveless vest, his weapons on his wrists. Velvet wore an odd brown outfit William wasn’t sure how to classify. It looked like a leather jacket, but tight fitting, with little brass or bronze shoulder guards and accents.

William flicked his semblance out, extending his coat’s hem into the flowing form of a duster. He was glad Roman had considered the adaption, and even more impressed when he found out the transition between its two orientations was so simple. It billowed out as he made it to the Bullhead, giving him a more ominous appearance. Coco seemed to hum her approval, her eyes raking over the garment.

William stepped onto the Bullhead, taking a seat on the bench as Coco and Fox joined him. On the opposite bench, Yatsuhashi and Velvet. William wasn’t sure the classification of the mission, but he knew that they had packed accordingly. He didn’t have anything to pack, and he didn’t care to leech supplies of them either.

“What’s the mission?” He asked Fox as the Bullhead’s engines whined. They were taking off. William felt his center of gravity shift as the Bullhead rose.

The engines rotated and their acceleration gradually shifted to a horizontal plane. Fox waited for the roar of the engines to dull to a steady whine before he answered.

“A outriding village is having a Grim problem. We’re being deployed in the woods around the village to help clear out the nearby vicinity. It shouldn’t take more than a day or two. We should make it back for the dance.”

William nodded, letting his hand ghost over Moonlight Sonata’s hilt. He rubbed the pommel, letting the familiar shape and feel of it ease his thoughts. He could handle missions. Missions were simple and easy.

Coco hummed, kicking her legs for a moment before she reached down, pulling a small designer case from under her seat. William gave her a confused look as she set it in the middle of the floor. It opened up into a small brewing system, four cups neatly tucked into a velvet lined case. She produced a fifth mug from the bag, setting it next to the others.

“Coffee or tea?” She asked, directing the question at him as she started prepping the device.

“Coffee.” William replied after a moment. “Is this some… team ritual?” He asked.

“Coco’s preference. We share a cuppa before a mission, and then another after.” Velvet chimed in softly from the other side of the hold.

William hummed, taking careful note of Velvet’s accent and choice of words. Coco was into leadership and team building it seemed. Which could mean she would seek to better William, or attempt to dig into his history and thoughts in order to incorporate him better into CFVY.

“We’re split on who prefers what before a fight. Me and Yatsu prefer tea before and after.” Velvet continued. “It appears you Coco and Fox prefer coffee. Though, Coco likes it after as well. She’s not a big tea drinking.”

“Got that right sweetcheeks.” Coco replied as she straightened back up, the little device humming softly, brewing what smelled like coffee. “I like my coffee with enough caffeine to kill.” She grinned as the little brewer started to drip out dark brown liquid.

William could smell it from where he was sitting. The scent was pure, and undiluted in his nose. The caffeine made the hairs on his arms perk up, and a shiver to trail up his spine. He wasn’t a big coffee drinker, nor did he like tea. He drank water, and his only indulging habit was smoking when he was stressed. Coffee was always expensive, and it took time to brew. He could smoke anywhere, and while packs were expensive, he could always steal a carton and make due for a month or two.

The coffee was ready shortly, and Coco handed him his own mug before fiddling with the device again. After she finished, it started brewing a lighter liquid that William assumed was tea. Fox and Coco sipped their cups tentatively, before humming in union. William stared down into his mug for a moment before wondering what the purpose of it was.

Coco could have just as easily done this ritual in CFVY’s dorm room, instead of a Bullhead. It could be that they did it directly before a mission, but Coco also had an extra mug. She had likely planned it to include him. She was making efforts to include him, and draw him into a form of companionship.

William took a sip, deciding it was better to go along with it than avoid it. The caffeine shot his eye lid up all the way, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He nearly dropped the mug, catching it in his off hand and slipping some of it on his wrist. He hissed at the piping hot liquid, even as his Aura took away the flash of pain.

“Too much for you?” Coco teased from across the Bull head. William could nearly hear the smirk in her voice.

“Coco brews a very strong cup.” Fox mentioned, as if William hadn’t figured it out by now.

“I gathered.” William shot back, coughing into the back of his hand. He steadied himself, gathering his wits before taking another sip. He was ready for the taste this time, and enjoyed the sharpness of the caffeine and the soft mellow aftertaste. He wasn’t sure what brew Coco used, but it wasn’t one he was familiar with.

The intercom clicked on, and William’s off hand shifted to a ready position. He could pull Moonlight Sonata out of its holster from it, and his hand didn’t look too out of place.

“Hunters?” The pilot called through the intercom. “I can’t land at the drop zone, we have Nevermore’s in the air space, and a host of Grimm waiting your arrival. The drop will be hot.”

William hummed, reaching over and mashing the button on the side of the Bullhead door. The door rose, letting them peer out the side to observe the scene they would be let loose upon.

A Nevermore, the size of a car, ghosted by the Bullhead’s open bay, and William dropped his hand to Moonlight Sonata. He would have had it out in another moment, but Coco dropped a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“I’ll handle the dropzone.” She called to the pilot. “Fox hold my coffee.” She said, handing the mug over to her partner.

William regarded her for a moment before sliding Moonlight Sonata out all the way. “You can’t get the ground forces with that minigun of yours like I can.” He informed her. “Just don’t shoot me.”

“William, I think you should give it a minute, this dropzone is pretty hot, and you haven’t been on a mission yet.” Coco replied, popping her handbag free of it’s holder. She widened her stance, forcing William to take a step behind her or fall out of the Bullhead.

William smirked, flipping Moonlight Sonata around into a reverse grip. “Don’t underestimate me Coco.” He warned. “I was holding back with you.” He launched himself forward, diving over her and out the Bullhead.

“William!” Coco’s voice tore out of her voice, but she wasn’t fast enough to catch him. Fox dove, but he missed, nearly colliding with Coco and sending them both tumbling out of the bay.

William flipped, coffee in one hand, Moonlight Sonata in the other. The air whipped at his hair and clothes, but he had sensed where he would be landing. The Nevermore didn’t even see him coming as he plummeted twenty feet down and landed on its back. He landed on one foot, bending his knee and transferring the force of his fall to his other heel, which he smashed down behind the beast’s neck.

The heavy feathers distributed the force, but the oversized bird dropped down a few feet anyway from the impact. It shook itself, but kept flapping. William pursed his lips in annoyance at the reaction, a human definitely would have died.

William drained the cup of coffee, his other hand working his semblance. Threads encircled the birds wings, teasing the joints of its wings, looping carefully around it’s limbs. William sensed more than saw that his construct was complete. He pulled the wires tight as he tilted the cup up, getting the dregs.

The Nevermore’s wings abruptly shut, the wires pushing the joint in and pulling the wingtips back to the main body. It squawked, thrashing as William closed off the wires, turning them into loops around its own body. It was no longer straining against William, but its own physical frame.

They plummeted to the ground. William dropped the empty mug, casting a wire through the handle and looping it to his belt so he could return it to Coco. The landing zone was rushing up to meet him, and he needed a landing strategy.

He twirled Moonlight Sonata, expanding it out to its bow configuration. He pulled the string back and formed an arrow on the string, sighting two of the thinner trees on the edge of the clearing.

He fired twice, his arrows linked together by a thin strand of his Aura. They hit the trees, the thread spanning across it, linked back to William’s hand on the same little thread. He jumped off the Nevermore, letting momentum carry him forward. He adjusted his form, his heels touching the wire, snapping the tension out of the wire. He extended it slowly, letting the wire slowly stretch to absorb his speed.

The Nevermore crashing into the ground, tumbling and landing awkwardly, its neck twisted at an odd angle. William knew anatomy well enough to know that it’s vertebra and spine were shattered from the impact. If Nevermore’s followed bone structures of birds, their bones would be hollow, and easily broken.

William flipped the blade around, condensing it back down to his sword. He snapped the wire tight, shooting backwards and down at the ground. He met the first Grimm with a slash that contained every bit of force in his charge. He hit the ground, skidding and spinning as he sliced through the werewolf looking ones.

They went down like easy fodder, dropping to the ground with a deadly slash across the neck, or grievous wounds that cleaved into their flesh. As William slowed, coming to a halt, he changed tactics. These beasts acted with a pack mentality, but that wasn’t good enough to bring William down. He had fought far more deadly beasts.

The silver blade caved through limbs, leaving incapacitated Beowulf's on the ground, writhing and whimpering while their bodies disintegrated slowly. William didn’t give them pause, instead he charged for the larger threat. A bear looking Grimm , flanked by two Beowulf's.

Coco’s minigun lit up the area around him, churning through the smaller Beowulf’s easily. The Bullhead dropped lower to the ground as William met the bear. He slid under the two Beowolves as they jumped at him. The bear swiped down, intending on crushing him into the dirt.

William sprang up, twisting around it’s meaty paw, reversing his grip on his sword as the cleaved into its arm, using his rising force and his forearm behind the blade to reinforce it. William managed to cleave through the monster's arm up to the middle of its forearm before he slowed. He ripped it out, swiping the blade across it’s face. Its mask took the blow, scrapping a solid line over its eyes.

The bear staggered back, swatting at its eyes with its working arm, the other hung limply, flecks of darkness fading off of it. William threw his sword, dropping to a shallow crouch even as the blade left his hands. The point sheared through the bear’s eye, burying halfway up the blade. It swayed as William drew the two Aura Daggers, already buzzing with a blue blade.

He twisted around, but found he didn’t have to deal with the two Beowulves from before. Fox’s back greeted him instead, the blind brawler seeming to watch their corpses melt away. William spung both of his daggers around his palms, a nervous twitch, before he dropped them into his pockets again.

“You should have gone for the Beowulves first.” Fox said, turning away and heading towards the landing Bullhead. “An Ursa is slower, and more likely to allow underlings, such as a Beowulf, to handle an attacker before it bothers attacking, unless you charge it.” He explained as it sent down.

William hummed, realizing his mistake and filing the information away for later. He would have to analyse the anatomy of Grimm if he was going to fight them. He remembered some of it from the fights Roman put him in, but those cases were special. Those Grimm weren’t normal.

Yatsuhashi and Velvet were unloading, pulling duffel bags off the Bullhead’s cargo hold. Yatsuhashi carried three, stacking them on his shoulder with his sword in his offhand. Velvet carried a designer suitcase in one hand, matching Coco’s color scheme. William holstered Moonlight Sonata, letting the bare blade knock against his leg as he headed over.

“You didn’t pack anything, but we prepared a kit for you anyway. Ozpin assumed you didn’t have anything for a field mission, so he allowed Coco to set up a kit for you. We went with the bare necessities. That’s what’s in the blue duffle bag.” Fox explained, gesturing to the final duffel bag in the cargo hold.

William nodded as he pulled it out, slinging it over his shoulder. It wasn’t particularly heavy, and if they went with the bare necessities then it was likely it contained a bedroll, maybe a tent, and rations. If there was anything else, then William wouldn’t likely need it.

He followed after them, wordlessly falling in behind Fox. He observed their gaits again, interested to see how they would have changed in a now combat oriented space.

Fox’s were more cautious, but he had lost the air of uncertainty. Each step was confident, and he avoided small obstacles like tree roots of rocks in the ground without a thought. His head was on a swivel as well, cocking his ears either way and seeming to survey the area as they walked through it.

Velvet kept close to Yatsuhashi, taking short tentative steps. She looked like a greenhorn, uncertain in a fight, or at least in her strength. Her strides matched Fox’s, even though she had longer legs. Her arms were kept close to her chest, and her ears were pressed flat to her head. She was nervous. Rabbit Faunus’ were like that sometimes.

Coco’s was unchanged, still a confident swagger. A result from her figure rather than arrogance. She still wore heels, which didn’t make much sense to William. Her handbag hung on one hip, her hand resting lightly on it, with the other carrying a bag.

“We’ll need a suitable campsite for the duration of our stay.” Coco mentioned as they headed into the forest. “So I feel like for today we should be establishing a base and a solid perimeter.”

The act made sense, to establish a fall back point, or in the minimum, a place to rest during the fight. William could agree with the move, even if he wouldn’t have made it. The mission would likely be an extensive one, and one that he would plow into full speed until it was done.

They would set up by a rocky overhang, which would provide a cover from any rain. Their tents would theoretically be covered from any harsh weather, or sheltered from wind. A small river was located a half mile away, an easy jog to and from it. Coco set about distributing work immediately.

Yatsuhashi was given the task of digging out a fire pit, as well as bringing back rocks for a boundary around it. Velvet and Coco started setting up the tents. Fox took William out with him, never mentioning his task. William could only assume that is would be firewood. It made sense, even if William wouldn’t have bothered with it.

He took the time to watch Fox, and try to discern his method of sight. William could tell that Fox wasn’t just relying on hearing. Battle was a mess of sounds and noise, the scraping of metal, the clash of steel, the ripping of flesh and the grating of bone. Anyone with the skill to cipher through that mess of audio would have to have extensive training. Fox looked the type for extensive training, but there would still be gaps in his fighting, instances where his brain had to process sound.

William wasn’t about to believe Fox was blind. He also wasn’t about to ask Fox flat out about it when the hunter had his hands free. So he waited until they were coming back with a mixture of logs and branches, Fox’s arms full, and William’s bundle wrapped tightly in his semblance, leaving one of his hands free.

“How blind are you?”

Fox tilted his head, acting as if he was listening to their surroundings. “Well, I went blind when I was five. But the doctors informed me that I am completely blind. I cannot see any shapes, colors or anything else in the slightest. I am clinically blind.” He replied.

William frowned, giving Fox a sharp look. “I didn’t ask about your eyes.”

Fox gave him a smirk, his lips pulling back slightly, a mixture of amusement and an impressed look. “Eyes are how you see, are they not?”

“You’re avoiding the question and we both know it. You don’t need them and neither do I.” William shot back, checking Fox’s stance as he replied. Fox was still passive, his shoulders lack, his expression still friendly.

Fox shrugged as he moved around a tree, stepping over and around the tree roots easily. “That is a secret I will keep for quite a bit longer if you don’t mind. I don’t quite trust you enough to let you know how I manage what I do.”

William mulled his words over for the next couple paces. Then he shrugged, deciding that he had pried out all he could from Fox. He already had a good idea how Fox saw, and even without a verbal confession, he could admire the skill it required. So he let the brawler lead him the rest of the way back to camp.

He found Coco waiting for them, casually examining her nails. The tents were pitched, and their gear stowed away, likely inside of it. A fire pit was dug and ready for use, all that was left was wood, which William and Fox had brought.

Coco greeted them readily, walking up to them, but passing Fox. Her hand slapped his ass, giving it a generous squeeze. Fox seemed unphased by it, but that didn’t stop a sly grin from appearing on Coco’s face. William almost missed the small smirk that flashed across Fox’s face. Coco repeated the action with William, but it didn’t have the same enthusiasm. With Fox, it had been slightly intimate, but with him it was just teasing.

She flexed her fingers as she walked back to the campfire with William. Finally, she looked up at him, giving him a confused expression. “Your ass is far firmer than I’d originally thought.”

William could only assume this was Coco’s playful side. He wasn’t quite sure how to react to it. There was a sarcastic line he had thought up, but then again, it might not be appropriate as a reply. But he was playing the uncouth youth from Vacuo who had a pension for disobedience. So he said it any way.

“Sorry about that. People get rough with you when you work the corner.”

He delivered the line so flat and dry that it took a small smirk for Coco to realize that he was kidding. She eased her sunglasses down to look him in the eyes, a smile slowly expanding across her face before she started chuckling. It graduated to a laugh after a moment, and left William wondering if he’d said something wrong.

“Never have I ever gotten a line like that.” Coco finally managed as she calmed down. She sighed, letting the smile linger on her lips as William set his pile of wood down by the fire pit. “I’m surprised William. I wasn’t expecting the sort of reply from you.”

“I have my moments.” William replied coyly, casting out his semblance to snatch Fox’s wood from his hands. He headed off towards one side of the cave. Constructing a small wooden wall to extend out the cave would help shelter the tents from the wind, as well as offer a sense of security.

Coco joined him, likely having the same idea. Together they worked until dark, stopping shortly after due to lack of resources. The small buffer they had made would block a portion of the wind, but its effectiveness at the task would be judged latter that night.

“We shouldn’t start until the morning, likely at first light. But with the situation, I think a night guard would be appropriate.” Coco remarked as they gathered around the campfire. “Who wants first watch?”

William jumped at the chance, raising his hand to take the spot before any of the others could. “I’d like to. I won’t mind at all.”

The others didn’t seem to protest, so instead they headed about their business to get ready for bed. They brushed their teeth and adjusted their tents and belongings before retiring to bed. All except for Coco, who sat down at the fire to brew one last cup of coffee before she retired to bed. William sat across from the fire, his hands folded carefully on top of each other, angled so the fire light shadowed the scars on his hands.

Her cup was just starting to fill when she looked up at him, her brown eyes burning into his more intensely than the flames themselves. “You wanted to ask me a question? I can tell.”

William hummed, appreciating that she could read the atmosphere. It let him bring it up without having to introduce it. “Why me? And why for this mission? And why now? I’m new. I haven’t done anything of interest.”

“On the contrary dear William.” Coco remarked, reaching into her purse and withdrawing a small container of creamer. “You helped Velvet. And anyone who stands up for Faunus, especially how you did, is good in my books. Plus, you held up to team RWBY well, and you didn't have a clue about their abilities. You handle yourself well, and it’s easy to see you’re strong. But mostly, the reason is Velvet.”

“Velvet?” William asked, cocking an eyebrow. “All I did was take care of Cardin and a few others. It wasn't that impressive. Those punks weren’t anything special.”   
Coco shook her head as her coffee finished. She added the creamer, casually stirring it to blend it roughly. She took a sip before it had evenly dissolved, humming softly. “Not what I meant little wolf.” The nickname gave William pause, but then again, his middle name did translate to wolf. She could know the meaning. “I meant when Velvet looked at you, she saw something you’re not showing. You’re not this punk from Vacuo who wanted discipline. You’re not a kid in need of help. No. You’re something much more, and I’m curious to know what. You don’t get as strong as you do without some type of special training, and I have a feeling that your uncle isn’t exactly who you say he is.”

William felt his skin prickle and the hairs on the back of his neck. Coco’s eyes bore into his. Then he smiled. It was all just a game, and the only thing on the line was his life. “I have no clue what you think you’re seeing in me. But you’re looking far too deeply into this. Vacuo has some difficult streets, and it’s not likely for you to survive if you can’t fight. As for my uncle. My uncle is a businessman and I am his errand boy. If he has something that needs to be done, then I do it for him. Cut and dry, short and simple. If I failed then I have a punishment, and training that needs to be reinforced. If I succeed, then I have more training to build on that success. There’s nothing special about it. It’s just how the real world works.” William shot back coldly, mechanically.

“Life is more than that.” Coco rebuked. “You just have to find someone willing to show you that. And if that’s how your uncle thinks, then I don’t think I like your uncle.”

“He’s not wrong.” William replied, watching Coco finished her cup of coffee and set it down. She had drained most of it in one gulp, likely to steady her nerves. Even if she had experience as a huntress, out alone in the woods with hundreds of Grimm surrounding her was likely to fray her nerves. “You wouldn’t like my uncle though.” A wiry smile graced William’s lips as he stared into the fire, watching it consume the wood. If only she knew. He wondered how quickly her opinion of him would change. If only she knew what he had done to get here. The thought made his smile turn to a smirk. He enjoyed the game of life and death.

He reached out suddenly, careless of the flames as he pushed a piece of wood deeper into the flames, so that the entire length was within the blaze. The flames licked at his skin, singeing the hairs off his hands and wrist, but his Aura protected his flesh.

“Let me see your hands.” Coco said suddenly. The request caught William off guard, and it put him in a difficult position. If she inspected them, she would feel all of his scars, and likely pinpoint the largest. If she could put two and two together, then he would have to reveal part of his past. On the other hand, if he refused, it would create a rift of distrust, and an unnecessary issue.

William pursed his lips, deciding it would be best to simply accept the request. He got up, moving around the fire to take the seat next to her. He gave her his right hand, dropping it into hers with he kept his left on his knee.

“Doing some palm reading?” He teased. “I don’t believe in that sort of fate if you’re trying to predict my lifespan or my fate. Destiny is crap.”

Coco snorted softly at his statement, but turned her attention to his hand, running her fingers over them as she felt out the callouses and scars. Her touch was gentle, careful. She likely learned that from Fox. If Fox had put up a convincing act, then he would have asked to feel their faces, and his touch would have been gentle but thorough.

“You have quite a lot of scars on your hands.” Coco mentioned as her fingers dipped towards his palm.

“Training, and the cost of using my semblance. If the tension is too high, the wires will cut into my hands, before I learned to manage it better will pulleys and additional loops, I used to cut my fingers to the bone quite regularly.” William explained. The other part of that was that Roman and his interesting methods of torture. He never went for anything that would leave obvious scars or wounds. No, he liked to be discrete.

Coco’s fingers danced over the knife wound, tracing the edges of the scar before dipping into it. On the other side of his hand, the fingers there dipped down. William could feel it as her fingers dipped into the center of the pair.

Her head jerked up sharply, meeting his eyes. She found a sea of regret instead of anger at her intrusion. She swallowed stiffly, then let go of his hand.

“That one isn’t from training.” She remarked softly. “Was it your uncle?”

William shook his head, knowing that he would have to be truthful about this particular matter. “My father, when I was younger, before I moved to my uncle.” He drew his hand back, wordlessly giving her his other hand. She located the scar on that hand as well. “I had been screaming. He had been drinking. My mother had been…” He trailed off slowly, watching the memory flash in his eyes. “There was a knife, and he took the opportunity to take me out of the equation.” His voice suddenly icy and flat, like a knife blade. It cut out the emotion in his voice, leaving only a callous fact.

Coco bit her lip, realizing that she had stepped into a minefield she wasn’t quite ready to deal with. “Your father sounds like a worthless bastard that needs to di-”

“He’s dead.” William interrupted her. “He’s dead and buried. He killed my mom.” He shifted his gaze from the fire to look at Coco. “And there is nothing I can do about it.” For a moment Coco saw what Velvet had seen. For just a moment in the flickering firelight she felt like she was standing in front of the executioner.

William’s expression had turned into a dark visage, a grim smile. His eyes had darkened, matching the color of the sea during a storm. There was no light in them at the moment, and even the glimmer of the firelight seem to have been swallowed in them. His hands curled into fists, his jaw set as he clenched them. “He’s dead. But that bastard deserves something far worse than Hell.” William snarled.

Coco could see what Velvet meant when she said he looked like a wolf, caged and ready to lash out, with only anger and rage left. She stood slowly, collecting her cup as she headed to her tent. She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering if she had made the right choice in choosing to take in William.

“Get some sleep.” William’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked back at him. The rage had drained out of his eyes, and the anger out of his body. All that was left was apathy and sorrow. A hurt that ran so deep that it seemed as endless as the rage he had shown just a moment ago. “I’ll wake you up for your watch.”

Coco nodded, sliding into her tent. It occurred to her that William wouldn’t wake her, and that she should likely set an alarm on her scroll for it. But from the day's events, she could only assume William was ready to get to sleep as well. She slid into her sleeping bag, finding that it was already occupied by her favorite visitor.

She hummed softly, pulling off her brown sweater to leave the white undershirt as she slid into her not-boyfriend’s embrace. The blind fighter’s arms slid around her, leaving a hand on her hip and another under her neck, his bicep acting as a cushion for her neck.

“Goodnight Fox.” She whispered, easing off to sleep, William’s situation rapidly draining from her mind as she marveled at how warm Fox’s chest was compared to the sleeping bag and the outside air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No prior editing, straight off FFN.


	6. Worn Masks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco learns that there is more than just scars that plague William's past.  
> And that he's more than capable hiding them. Both from her, and anyone else that he chooses.   
> At least. So he thinks.

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter 6**

**Worn Masks**

Coco woke to the scent of cooking meat and a deep feeling of regret. Both of these senses were dulled considerably by the strong tanned arms wrapped around her waist. She hummed, lingering in her partner’s grasp for a minute longer as her thoughts came together. She had slept peacefully the entire night. The tent’s canvas was starting to lighten, and that could only mean that morning was coming.

She wriggled out of Fox’s grasp, slipping out of the tent and standing up straight. The morning light shot through the canopy and the tree trunks, illuminating a sight she wasn’t familiar with.

William lounged in front of the fire, idly waving his hand at the fire. Above him, he had constructed something akin to a jungle gym dome out of thin branches. His wires wove freely though it, tightened at joints and around the limbs in such a dizzying fashion that Coco had no hope of figuring out where the wires crossed or even if there was more than one wire.

She stretched, cracking her back as she staggered forward.

“You’re awake.” William commented, his tone without interest as he continued to stare at the fire, his hands gesturing like a conductor guiding an orchestra.

“You took all the shifts.” Coco replied, dropping to the ground next to him.

Now she saw the point of the construct. William had balanced a cast iron skillet above the fire, using wires to anchor it, and another set to manipulate the meat that was sizzling in the pan. If she didn’t know any better, she would have been willing to bet that it was bacon, but that couldn’t be. No one packed raw meat on a trip.

“What is that? Rehydrated jerky or something?” She asked, leaning a little closer to examine the marbling of the meat, the way the fat and meat blended together.

“Killed a pig. Made bacon.” William informed her.

A stray wire wrapped around her head, wrenching it to one side. It startled her, and if a collection of wires hadn’t adjusted her shoulders and neck, then she might have broken her neck. A pig corpse was nearby, flies already setting to the body. It’s stomach was sliced open, and it’s organs and chunks of its meat were removed.

“Can’t make jerky, so I settled for bacon.” William explained casually, the wires redirecting her gaze back to the pan.

“Quit that.” Coco snapped suddenly, aware how fragile her neck was, and how little error it took for William to pull a wire just a bit too hard. “I don’t appreciate you handling me like that. And while I appreciate the breakfast, I don’t appreciate how you served the entire night shift.”

William glanced up at her, his sea green eyes heavy, but still alert somehow. “One night of no sleep will do me far more good than a series of nightmares and waking everyone else up with my screams.”

His blunt reply shocked him, and it took her a moment to register the facts in his words. If his father had left those scars on his hands, it was extremely likely that William did have nightmares, and suffered from insomnia because of it.

She truly couldn't argue with it, but she wanted to. William needed his sleep, fitful though it may be, and even if he woke up screaming, it was still rest his body needed. She would have to press the issue tonight, and make sure he at least got a few hours of sleep.

Before she could speak further, and possibly press the issue, William threw something at her. Reflexes save her, and she caught it with both hands, a stunned expression on her face.

It was a saucer carved out of pine wood. The finish was smooth, and the surface slick, but not sticky in the slightest. She looked up at William to find he had three more in his hand, balanced between fingers like throwing stars.

“When did you….?” Coco trailed off, already knowing the answer as William moved the pan over to her.

Bacon was served onto her plate, and more strips added to the pan before it was moved back to the fire.

“When you're finished you can wake the others. I don't know if Velvet will eat meat though, I know some Faunus are vegetarians. The last Rabbit Faunus I knew was.” William trailed off after his last sentence, furrowing his brow before he shivered, appearing to focus more at the task in front of him.

“Velvet is fine with it.” Coco mentioned as she bit into the strip of bacon.

It was still hot, grease coming off it, but it was hot and fresh out of the pan. She hummed softly, even as her tongue was scalded a little. Fresh bacon was leagues better than hot or even heated rations.

William was a decent cook, either that or she was far hungrier than she had first thought. She watched him for a while, noticing he had added a few bones to the fire, as well as that he hadn't served or carved a plate for himself.

“Tell me little wolf,” Coco started, setting her now empty plate by her foot. “Why do you care so much but feel so little?”

William froze, his fingers freezing, his wires shifting for a moment as they tightened with his will. He hummed, a flick of his wrists tying off the threads connecting to his fingers. Coco wasn’t sure where he tied them off to, since the only thing he had to tie off to was his own body or the dirt.

“Why do you care to ask?” He replied. “I’m just a temporary teammate. I don’t matter in the long run.” A cruel smirk drifted across William’s lips.

Coco hummed, clasping his hands in front of her, pressing her full lips against her thumbs. “Because you’re part of my team now.” She replied. “So enlighten me. Tell me why you are what you are, or I will dig deeper into you than you are willing to let me.”

William considered it, weighing her words before he spoke. “And what are you looking to find? Some deep tragic past? My father was a heavy alcoholic and a mad drunk. Take a guess about my childhood. Take a guess how many scars that monster gave me, but don’t you dare ask about the stories of them.” He chuckled darkly. “Because you aren’t ready for the nightmares that I live with every single night. And you're not strong enough to handle my demons ripping into your mind and seeping into your soul every time you look at me. There's not a person alive that can handle my pain.” His voice had been dark, now it took to sorrow, a pitch black abyss that swallowed up the other emotions.

Coco felt a chill slip up her spine. She stood up abruptly wrapping her arms around herself as she stepped away. “That may be so, but I still want to know. Because you’re part of my team right now, and I need to be able to know what I’m getting into when I accept you.”   
William hummed softly, returning back to working his cooking fire. “Should have thought about that before you invited me sweetheart.”

Coco pursed her lips, then headed to the tents to wake up the rest of her team. Fox would be the first to wake, then she would get Yatsu and Velvet. They slept separate, unlike Coco and Fox, who were cuddle buddies. To say the least. Not that Coco would ever venture to anything as far as _that_ but she and Fox left it as comfortable teasing and maybe playful touches.

Coco shook off the lingering chill that William had sent down her spine as she headed into her and Fox’s shared tent. She smiled softly at the tanned skinned fighter curled up, a hand outstretched for her.

“Fox.” She breathed into his ear, “Wake up my sweet.”

He shifted, reacting to her voice as his hand searched the small area. His hand found her, his soft touch finding her thigh, brushing against it before trailing up the outside to her hip. Fox let out a small noise of disappointment as he opened his milky white eyes. They looked at her, never once seeing her soft warm brown eyes, but finding them anyway.

“Why do I smell fresh bacon and death?”Fox asked, slowly sitting up, his hand sliding up her side to cup her face. His touch just as gentle as it could be, feather-light and softer than silk. Coco leaned into it, closing her eyes to enjoy the feel of his callous fingers against her skin.

“William.” She replied after a moment. “He’s got more baggage than I originally thought, but I tink I can handle most of it. But…” She trailed off, looking behind her.

“It’s like chipping away at granite. You think you’re making progress, but you blow away the dust to check and you haven’t done a damn thing. Or you don’t realise how much you’ve uncovered and you aren’t ready for the emotional flood.” Fox yawned, stretching as he oriented himself and woke the rest of the way up.

“Just go get food when you wake up and get all the way dressed Fox. I’ve got to wake our local green giant and bunny.”Coco said softly, watching him with a smile as he fumbled his way into his morning routine.

She slipped out, glancing over at William as she headed to the next tent. He was still sitting, two plates set near the fire, a handful of bacon on each. He was working on another batch it looked it, his fingers dancing , little slips of blue string hanging off each finger.

She slipped into Yatsuhashi’s tent, shaking him slightly. “Wake up Yatsu. It’s time for the mission. Get Velvet.” Then she was out, heading back to the campfire.

William glanced at her, an easy smirk sliding across his lips. Coco realized at that moment she just had been played. William had shifted his tone and posture so completely that it left he utterly uncomfortable to even pursue the topic of his childhood, and totally stopped her from delving any deeper. And he had done it in an instant, and she had played with it.

She gritted her teeth, walking you next to him as he finished a final plate. “You just tricked me didn't you?’

“Perhaps. But you still don't want to dig into that particular topic.” William replied casually as he leaned back. “It's much easier to close off a path of questioning than try to steer someone away from it. You won't like what you find if you look into my past. So don't. Just trust that I'll fight for you and that I will play by your rules. You don't need to look any further than that.” William informed her.

Coco pursed her lips. “When you tell me that, it just makes me realize you have far more secrets than I first thought. And it makes me want to pry and see them, to see why you are the way you are. The reason why your risk yourself in combat, and attack so ferociously. There isn’t a single being your age that would attack like that. Everyone fears death to some extent or another, but you don’t. You’re completely apathetic about it. And that isn’t something you’re born with, or something you can get with training, and certainly not on the streets of Vacuo.”

“Perhaps you don’t know Vacuo.” William replied, quirking his eyebrows at her, an amused grin on his lips. His eyes were dark though, and his expression didn’t reach or reflect in them. Coco was starting to realize that very few of his expressions did reach his eyes.

“Perhaps I don’t know you.” She countered as the others arrived.

They ate quickly before getting their battle gear ready. Fox lingered close to Coco, his posture and location not lost to William. Velvet gravitated to Yatsuhashi, checking in on the giant frequently and helping him adjust his armor. They packed rations, a quick snack that didn't’ require heating or time to prepare it. William neglected it, already knowing the dangers of the wood from nightwatch.

The moment they set out beyond the boundary of their camp they encountered resistance. Coco snapped into action immediately, deploying her minigun.

“Standard formation! William with Fox! Keep his back clear! Support his sides!” Cococ instructed, already opening up on the pack of Ursa’s that had charged out of the woods to them.

William shot out, Moonlight Sonata coming free of it’s holster as Fox lined up with the large opponent. William’s seagreen eyes soaked in every detail even as he advanced on Fox’s flank, aiming to deflect and incapitate the Ursa that was coming in from the right.

Fox took a step, his moment completely sure. He dropped down, lowering his center of gravity as his foe closed. William’s movements were completely instinctual, his eyes on fox as he sensed rather than saw the other Ursa’s claws rise, swatting upward.

A blur of blades, Fox’s forearms flashing up and down as the Ursa got into range. It was staggered, and Fox reoriented his body, planting his back foot and lashing out with both fists, Aura bursting from both of them and pumping into the Ursa. It expanded within his target.

William twisted around, Moonlight Sonata slicing into the Ursa’s wrist and knocking the paw away as William wheeled behind it’s body. He heard the beast explode, and then spikes slap into his own Ursa’s body. The beast staggered, then collapsed behind William.

“Little warning next time monk.” William stated, spinning Moonlight Sonata idly before he charged back into the fray.

“You handled it well enough.” Fox replied, slipping around him to counter a Beowolf that had accompanied the group.

William’s eyes shifted to glance at the blind man, but he shook his reply away, working Moonlight Sonata around and cleaving through the claws of another Ursa, jumping up and twisting around, his heels clapping around it’s head. He threw the blade, planting it into the ground, wires attaching it to his hand, another set shooting out to the trees around them as William tightened them.

The muscles on his back and legs protested, straining as he felt the torque build in his body. Then suddenly it snapped free as William’s lower body snapped around, the Ursa’s head clasped firmly in his feet. The rest of the body fell away, fading away as William landed on his feet. He juggled the head up, before kicking it into the charging pack. It evaporated before it hit another Grimm but the effect was noticeable. They seemed more weary to engage William.

Coco noticed it as well, the savage way William had wretched its head off it’s corpse, as well as the strength it would have required. Even if he used the tension of his wires and the anchor of his blade to supplement, William had to have a notable amount of strength to even consider that attack, much less execute it in close combat with an unknown enemy. A stray thought reminded her that no less than an hour ago, William could have done the same thing to her with a flick of his wrist and a sharp yank of a wire around her head.

The thought made her sick to her stomach.

“Two to Two.” William stated as Fox’s second Ursa hit the ground, fading rapidly. The pack had been finished, a fair amount of the work handled by William and Fox’s forward position. Coco had worked the flanks, and taken one and weakened three others. Yatushashi and Velvet had taken those out.

Fox let a grim smile grace his lips, drawing William’s eyes to the slim scar on his lip. Then the expression was gone. “Grimm are simply monsters waiting to be put down. There is not pride in making exterminating them a competition.” There was a lengthy pause before Fox added, “And I got two and a half. I assisted on one of yours.”

“Bullshit.” William replied, rolling his eyes. “You didn’t even see it coming at me.”

Fox grinned. “Didn’t see the others either if you want to bring that up.”

William rolled his eyes, snorting at the blind brawler. “We’ll tally tonight. Fair? Assists count for half.”

They set off again, meeting larger and larger groups, until they were stuck in a fight that steadily swelled as sounds of battle echoed into the woods. They managed to make a front, with Yatushashi and Velvet acting as point, Fox and William running the flanks, and Coco supporting.

Beowulf's poured in, drawn by the call of an Alpha that Yatsuhashi had split in half a few minutes prior. A Deathstalker lingered on the fringes. It was larger, and Coco could only guess how old it was. Ursa were shocktroopers, and while there was only a dozen, it was wearing on them to take them out. One or two nevermore dotted the skies, but her minigun had insured that none would dare fly into range.

Yatsuhashi fought with Velvet, pairing her light attacks with his heavy sword strokes. Coco still hadn’t given her permission to use her weapon, and the small tote was strapped securely on her back.

Fox was working independently on his own, occasionally supported by Coco’s gunfire. He managed on his own, and more often than not, a stray blue wire would appear, redirecting him or delaying a Grimm for just a fraction of a second. Fox could only guess how William knew when to supply them, especially since he was wrapped up in his own battles, cleaving through Beowulf's faster than they could appear. William was working almost faster than Fox, his silver blade flashing about on either side of him, his head on a constant swivel as he sliced off fingers, hamstringing Beowulf's for an instant of reprieve before his sword would flick back, a brutal stab through the throat, or a slash across its eyes that dipped far enough into the skull to cleave out brain matter.

William was spinning out of control to Coco. As the battle grew thicker, and more Grimm faded into dark ash, William had fallen into a faster and faster rhythm, until she had lost track of his sword and whether or not his Aura was devoted to his semblance or his protection. Coco couldn’t even tell how he moved around the battlefield any more, or if he was sticking to the formation.

He was a blur, shooting back and forth across the lines, Moonlight Sonata flashing left and right, slicing through limbs and delivering wicked fast blows that Coco hadn’t realized William was capable of. A flash of his semblance, looped around a nearby tree or limb, and something was restrained, allowing one of the others to finish it off, or for a delay so that they could avoid the attack. It didn’t matter that William wasn’t looking, he just seemed to sense it all, feeling everybody around him.

Coco found out how a moment later, shifting her foot and feeling the hint of resistance around her foot. A slice of blue wire wrapped around her ankle, the faintest tension in it, linking her to William. Coco snorted, firing upon his position.

“Head down wolf!” She yelled.

William did the opposite, converting his charge into a flip, pivoting on his heels and backflipping, arching his back as the first volley of Aura bullets smashed into the line of Grimm, knocking most of them down, if not out right killing them. William had already marked his landing point, and the Ursa he had chosen hadn’t staggered in the slightest.

He came down hard, steel plated heel swinging up, performing the same move he had on the Nevermore. His left foot landing on its shoulder, a moment before his right foot swung back down in an axe kick. The blow knocked it back, and pushed William forward, back towards Coco.

William hadn’t finished though, and he thrusted out with his sword, spearing it through the beast’s eye and out the back of it’s head. William hit the ground, letting it out of his grip for as long as it took him to turn around. Then he was charging back, jumping and ripping it out the side of its head as he dove back into the fray, a wild look in his eye.

“William fall back! Reinforce Velvet!” Coco called, hoping that his scroll would relay it, even if her voice couldn't make it.

Coco had been worried that William wouldn't be able to function when it came to teamwork. She had seen him fight, and read what little had been in his file. It seemed Ozpin hadn't tried digging too deeply into him, which surprised her. He had uncovered every scrap about her, including her rocky relationship at home, and a few more personal issues that she had kept under wraps.

What she had not expected was to see William completely shut Velvet out of the fight.

He leapt over the mob, his hands working overtime as he spun and bounced across shoulders and heads, rotating around and over monsters as if they were still objects instead of blood-thirsty moving beings.

He swept Velvet off her feet, spinning out of the way of an approaching Boarbatusk and tossed her behind him a few feet. Then he was back into the fray, slashing out with deadly force and scary accuracy at the weak points of each and every foe that came within the reach of his blade.

He had picked up in intensity, a whirlwind of movement that Coco knew he shouldn’t have been able to maintain or even reach. It was like he was operating solely on instinct as he fought. He ducked and slashed, dealing out out damage faster than even his multiple opponents could keep up with.

Velvet rushed back to support him, but William blocked her again, taking a pause to shove her back with his open hand, even though the move cost him valuable time. He took a hit, a claw cutting into his thigh. He didn’t seem phased by it, and instead pivoted and thrust his sword up to the hilt into the offending Ursa’s skull. It fell away, blood seeping out of William’s calf.

“Clear.” William stated simply, settling back into his own rhythm, with a slower pace and a lean on his injured thigh. “Velvet stick next to Yatsuhashi.” He advised.

“Fox support William! He’s taken a wound!” Coco called out.

“I’m fine!” William replied sharply, holding his position as the flow of Grimm ebbed and faded falling away until the last Grimm fell by Coco’s gunfire.

William keep moving, going through the motions of attacks as he gradually slowed down. It was like he had be sprinting the entire battle, and chose only now to slow to a jog, and then down to a walk. He stopped a few paces from the others, idly spinning his sword before he suddenly flipped it around and slid it sharply into it’s holster.

Coco sauntered up, her lips pursed as she examined him. “William. You’re hurt, and that wasn’t teamwork. I said support Velvet, not pull her out of the fight.”

William glanced down callously at Coco, his seagreen eyes completely focused. Then his gaze lightened, the darkness in his eyes fading to a dull sheen before he finally sighed and shrugged.

“I’m a lone wolf fighter. What can I say.” William replied with a shrug. “I don’t work with a team. Not very well.”

Coco pursed her lips. “Then we'll have to work on that.” She replied sharply.

William marched her gaze for a moment, a burning look that made the hairs on the back of Coco’s neck stand on end. Then it melted away, replaced by a soft and sorrowful gaze that spoke of hidden sorrows and ill fated secrets.

“I don't work well with teams. Haven't really had the chance to. At least not one that lasts.” William reiterated. “But I can keep track of everyone, and manage as best I can with that. Don't ask for me. And don't ask for less, this is how I fight, and that's what you'll have to work with.” He rolled his shoulders, squaring them up and stretching a little before he turned on his heels and started limping towards the others.

Coco pursed her lip, but Fox beat her to it, joining William in his walk, matching his pace even as William suddenly fixed his gait. He walked normally, a sharp flex in his injured leg the only sign that he was injured to any degree. Blood still pulsed out of the wound, but neither his expression nor mannerisms betrayed that.

William talked with Fox for a moment, before Fox handed over a roll of bandages, produced from one of his cargo pockets. William took it, binding his thigh tightly before handing it back. He flexed, stretching the leg several times before he nodded, apparently satisfied with its range of movement, through it if was hindered at all she couldn’t tell.

Coco decided that was a matter that she would have to address later. There were too many problems that hid within William’s seagreen eyes. Too much pain, and too many dangerous habits and tendencies. There was rage and regret and sorrow so strong in him that she wasn’t sure most soldiers had stories that could match his. And yet that boy with a thousand yard stare was less than twenty, not even a portion of the way through his life.

“Alright team.” Coco said, raising her voice so that it would carry through the field. “Let’s check out equipment and then advance! We have a lot to get through to stay on schedule for the dance!”

CFVY advanced, with William in tow. It took some time, namely two more skirmishes, before Coco finally understood how to command and advise William. Though she couldn’t really call it commanding him as much as directing him.

In a fight his mind was a steel trap, and nothing got in or out of it. Nothing escaped it either, as Coco noticed. The idea with William was less moving him around the battlefield, William operated at a far greater range than he should have been capable with his weapon choice and style, yet his range of combat could have comprised the entire battlefield. Using him required just as much concentration.

“William, adjust and center between Fox! Cover his flank!” Coco called, redirecting her fire to subdue the Ursa that had charged through Velvet and Yatsuhashi, advancing on William.

Her little wolf swept around it as if wasn’t even there, Moonlight Sonata lashing out as he raced around it, slipping through its limbs. The Ursa collapsed, a gash missing in the back of it’s leg. Fox pivoted, giving William his back as the pair fell into a rhythm they had managed to find between each other.

Coco had to admit, they worked well together, and it was rare that Fox found someone that could match his speed in a fight. William seemed to handle it just fine, and the two tore through fodder like a hot knife through butter. Even with the odds stacked against them, Coco felt sure her two forward melee fighters could handle the pressure.

Or that’s what she thought until the Grimm stopped, and their leader stepped out.

Grimm never had a formal leader, its just the biggest and baddest one of them that everyone else listens to. It’s never hard to figure out which one it is either. Coco had originally thought it was the Deathstalker from before, the only Grimm that had slid off into the woods before they could get to it. Now she saw otherwise.

The Beringel had been out of sight until now, lurking somewhere, watching. She never even saw it coming until it slid out of the woods and knocked Yatsuhashi aside like the giant weighed no more than a doll. Velvet took a step back, stunned, and the beast lashed out at her, a heavy handed fist, white plate on its knuckles.

A weave of wires yanked Velvet flat on her back on the ground, a moment later William had appeared, posed over her, Moonlight Sonata rammed into the gap between the monsters fingers.

“This one’s mine!” William snarled, the wires around Velvet disappearing. His Aura pulsed around him, the wires spinning excitedly around his lithe frame.

“Fox secure the area! Velvet check the big guy! I’ll support William!” Coco commanded, already knowing that her minigun would be all but ineffective against the Bergingel’s thick hide. She would have to rely on blunt force trauma and William’s sword until Yatsuhashi could return with his heavy blade.

She rushed to support William, her eyes scanning as he squared off against the massive gorilla shaped monster. William kept skirting to the left, forcing the beast to attack sideways, leaving it’s side open.

“Flanking!” She shouted to him.

“Duck!” He yelled back, his tone flat and cold, no nonsense.

She reacted to his command, and found out a moment later why he had left that side open as Moonlight Sonata whipped by her head, a string laced around it’s tip. She hit the dirt, following the swords arc as the wire twisted it around, redirecting the thrown weapon at the beast.

William tanked a blow from the beast, its massive fist blocked by his crossed forearms. He braced for it, digging in for the blow so his katana wouldn’t be sent off target by the jagging impact. He still felt the force, and only training kept the attack on target as William was launched back, tumbling across the dirt and into a tree.

His shoulder it first, then his head. He snarled, shoving back to his feet even as a dizzy spell hit him. Concussion. Judgement impaired. He noted the injury, along with the effects it would have on his abilities. He could no longer trust his own depth perception, and would have to rely on touch rather than sight.

He charged in again. Moonlight Sonata had bit into its side, but the wound was shallow and superficial at best. He tugged the wire wrapped around it, pulling it free as he closed the distance. The beast jumped, both fists raised, clasping them together for a bigger impact.

William pushed forward, his eyes on the arc of its jump. At the last moment, he flung himself forward, a flip that was barely two feet off the ground, his legs ratcheting forward, extending his center of gravity as well as his jump. His left hand caught his sword, the blade clench tightly in his hand as he landed, wheeling around to attack again.

He identified Coco’s back, her slender waist and sharp hips. An obstacle. Not an ally. He jumped over her, his gaze shifting to the Begingel’s shoulders. They told him everything he needed to know. It also told him he should have looked past Coco’s figure before he jumped.

The punch caught him in his exposed gut, and launched him back into the tree he just left. He righted himself before it, his steel reinforced heels crushing the delicate wooden trunk as he rebounded.

“Coco move!” He snarled, seeing the huntress move in the way again.

He flipped, driving Moonlight Sonata into the ground to slow and redirect his momentum as Coco parried and knocked aside two swipes of the Beringel’s massive fists. He set his feet on the hilt of his sword as he slowed, letting the sword tear through the ground a moment longer before he sprung off, flipping over Coco’s head and coming down hard on the Grimm’s head, heel leading the way.

His other heel swung up, knocking its head back up a moment later. William hit the ground, crouching for just a moment before he dove between it’s legs, his hands brushing against it’s ankles just for a moment.

“I’m supposed to be supporting you!” Coco snapped as the monster recovered.

“Dont need it!” William replied as he adjusted his wires, extending the pair he’d wrapped around the beast’s ankles to loop around two trees before he pulled on them, tightening them as quickly as he could.

It hit the ground with a ground shaking thump. It rolled, trapping William momentarily it his own wires as they tightened around him. He dissolved them instantly, but an instant was all the elder Grimm needed to attack. It snatched the boy up in its massive paw, smashing him into the ground. With its other hand it knocked Coco aside, sending the fashionista sliding on her back several feet away.

“Coco!” Fox yelled, taking notice of their struggle as his own battle with the remaining fodder came to a close.

William snarled sharply, twisting his arms around until his hand found his pocket, spinning an Aura Blade out and into his palm. It buzzed to life, slicing into the soft flesh of the Grimm’s palm.

It jerked its attention back to William, but didn’t release him like he had expected. Instead the monster threw him, hurling him hard into the woods. William collided with Moonlight Sonata, still planted in the ground. Together the assassin and his weapon flew into the woods, before a loud smack echoed back.

The Beringel snorted, taking a moment to thump its chest with pride before it turned back to the other members of the team. Coco had returned, her stance weary as she sized up the creature. Velvet was on her flank, and Yatsuhashi was cutting through the last two Beowulf's with Fox.

A silver blade came flipping out of the woods, spinning end over end before plunging into the gorilla’s back. It howled, whirling on to face the attack.

William leaned against a tree on the edge of the clearing, his collar stained with blood that came from his previous head wound. A dark look lingered in his eyes as he sized up the Beringel again. He spit, his saliva thick with red.

“Seems I might have been playing around with you too much.” He noted. He glanced at Coco and Velvet before he spoke again. “Back off. You’ll just get in my way.”

“William!” Velvet protested, but found that in the next moment she didn’t have a chance.

Wires appeared, crossing the distance between William and the Grim in a moment, tightening in the same instant and sending William hurtling across the field. The beast was ready though, and it ducked it’s head as William lined his feet up.

William hadn’t been aiming to kick it though. As his feet touched its skull, he buckled his knees, rolling over it’s back. His hand clasped the hilt of his sword, wrenching it out as he rolled off its broad back. He was spinning before he hit the ground, a silver flash as the blade carved away the flesh behind the knees and the ankles. William rolled back through it’s legs, anticipating two heavy hands closing around him to crush him. Eight slashes, fast as lightning, and all blurs of silver, and the Beringel found that it’s arms no longer moved.

Its palms pulsed black ash, and a crossed cut on its wrist severed the muscles to them, a final cut at the crook of its elbow that struck all the way to the bone left it useless entirely. William had given that special treatment to both of its arms. He righted his sword, drawing it up to eye level as he lined it up with the glowing red eyes, his free hand resting on the hilt of the weapon.

The Beringel lurched at him, swatting with both limp arms. William jumped, his focus never wavering as one foot caught behind its thick neck and the other smashed into its throat, crushing what should have been trachea. William hung there for a moment, his legs flexing as gravity pulled at him. The monster seemed stunned, its red eyes boring into his for a time, as if only now realizing that it had made a mistake.

Moonlight Sonata plunged into one of those eyes, the silver blade sliding out of the back of its skull. It twisted around, the blade facing towards the sky now. With a savage rip, William tore the weapon up through the rest of the skull. He dropped to the ground, stepping away from it as the body dissolved. He regarded Coco coldly for a moment before he dropped Moonlight Sonata to his side, ready, but at ease.

He hummed softly for a moment, his seagreen eyes seeming to swallow the dimming light of the day. “I don’t work well with a team.” He repeated, spinning Moonlight Sonata and dropping it back into its holster, the bare blade gleaming at his hip.

Coco gritted her teeth, and Fox took a step back from her as she advanced on William.

She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, swaying him back before bringing him forward hard enough to make him headbutt her. Neither moved, and his cold eyes bore into Coco’s soft brown ones.

“What?” William snapped. Tension rippled down his back, his muscles flexing in anticipation before he restrained them. His fingers itched for his sword, but he calmed his nerves and steadied his mind.

“Don’t you ever do that William!” Coco snarled, “I don’t ever want to see you risk your life over a stupid Grim! It’s one thing to hold it off until you can be reinforced, but you damn well better accept help in a team. Do you understand me! Now you’re injured, and all over one dumb brute. Your capacity is cut in half, and we’re no closer to finishing our objective. Do you have a deathwish?” Rage boiled off Coco, like steam off coffee. William breathed it in, his gaze never wavering as he listened to her.

“Grim is dead. I’ve worked with more. Nothing is broken. I don’t want to hear it.” William replied passively.

Coco’s grip tightened, a savage snarl on her lips as she suddenly forced William back, stomping on his feet and pushing him to the ground. His head hit the ground, and a dark light lit up in his eye. A moment later Coco found herself pressed to the ground, Moonlight Sonata’s blade pressed to her throat, a second blade buzzed above her eye, Fox’s steady hand holding back William’s wrist.

“Don’t you move an inch closer.” Fox warned.

“Don’t touch me.” William replied, his voice just as calm and level as it was before.

Coco took the time to steady her pulse, swallowing with some difficulty. Then she shoved up. The blade at her neck spun around, the blunt edge against her neck now, and the blade spun back, Fox unable to stop William as it disappeared back into his pocket.

“You can’t kill me.” Coco stated, meeting William’s eye for a moment. “And I don’t want you to get hurt any more. I don’t care about the mission. I don’t care about Grim or how many you’ve killed. All I care about is that you’re safe and you make it back at the end of the day in one piece. Do you understand me William? I dont know what you’ve done up until this point to strip you of survival instincts, or whatever let's you charge into a fight like you do. But don’t fight like that with a team. You better fight with us, or I will send you back to Beacon right now. I don’t give a damn if it makes this mission three times longer. You won’t be getting hurt again.”

William was silent for a long time as Coco slid out from under him. She got to her feet, dusting herself off as the others slowly eased away, the tension fading from their shoulders. They started to walk away, Coco nodding towards a direction. Fox lingered by William for a moment as they marched to the next battlefield.

“Why do you care?” William asked finally, looking up to catch Coco’s eye.

The leader of team CFVY shifted, setting her purse on her hip as she matched his gaze. “You can’t tell?” She asked, his lips quirking in something like a frown and then a smirk. “It’s cause I value you William. I see good in you. I think you just need a chance to see something other than whatever you have been seeing. You’re not a bad person, I don’t think you’re cruel by design or because you mean to be. Velvet sees something in you that I can’t imagine, and you have a darkness lingering behind you that can consume lesser men. And you manage to claw your way to the edge. I just want to be that helping hand to pull you out. You’re not evil William. I think you’re just in a tight spot.”

She knew. No, she didn’t. William’s thoughts buzzed around, analyzing fragments of her words before he put the picture together. She wanted to save him. But she didn’t have the whole picture. She thought he was an abused child, not a murderer. She didn’t know that blood had soaked into his skin and his fate was tragedy and that death and sorrow followed him like a shadow. He smirked, a low chuckle creeping out of his lips as he spoke. “Care to prove a point?” He asked, his hand dipping into his pocket.

“Gladly.”

He rushed the distance, slipping past Fox, his eyes focused on his target. His hand. Her throat. Her weight was negligible, he’d managed heavier. He pinned her back against a tree, Yatsuhashi over his left shoulder. The giant freed his sword, but William could end Coco before he even managed to bring the weapon to bear.

The Aura Blade buzzed in his hand, pressed not to her throat or eye, but against her chest, over her heart. Coco’s gaze never waivered from William’s.

“You going to stake your life on the fact that I’m not a monster?” William asked. “I’m sure Velvet’s told you, and I’m sure you see something in me. But you have no idea what kind of demons chase me. You don’t have a clue what nightmares await me when I close my eyes. And don’t you dare try to guess.”

“Let her go William.” Yatsuhashi stated, his sword resting on William’s shoulder.

“William…” Velvet pleaded. William didn’t have to turn to know that her ears were pressed flat to her head, her hands pulled up to her chest, her eyes wide with fear. She was scared. All Rabbit Faunus seemed to do that.

Fox appeared to be the only one at ease, far more than William was, and he held the situation in his hands. Coco was anxious, William could read it in her eyes. She was nervous, but not because of William’s blade. She was peering into his eyes, and he wasn’t so sure that she was missing the emotions swirling around inside of them.

He couldn’t lie to himself. He liked her. She was strong, and capable. She would make for a good leader or commander in a few years. She understood how to use people, and manage troops. But she could not handle the darkness that William brought with him to the battlefield.

Sweat trickled down her face, proof to her emotional state. William stayed steady, not a muscle moving as the blade rested against her chest. He knew the Aura Blade could plunge straight through her shirt, slice through a rib and slice into her aorta from this angle and position. He knew she’d bleed out in less than fifteen seconds if he severed it completely.

“You want to know don’t you?” She said. Her words startled him, but he kept that reaction to himself, steely discipline keeping his body from jerking at her voice.

“You want to know what I see in you. You need to know, because all anyone has ever seen in you is a monster. And I think that includes Ozpin. You want to know why I don’t treat you like that. And you’re desperate to know why I can look into your eyes and see your demons and not be frightened or run. Why I can stand here with you in control of my life and never glance down at your knife. That’s what you want to know.” Coco reiterated for him, a smile slowly gracing her lips.

“You can’t see my demons.” The blade eased closer, the tip cutting through her shirt. Coco seemed to freeze, the smile fading.

“That’s true.” She admitted. “But you still want to know. You want to know why I don’t want to see you hurt. You don’t value it, that much is easy to see in how you fight, the way you’ll tear your body apart just to meet a challenge. You can’t make sense of it when I defend you, or when I beg you to take care of yourself. Why I see value in your life when you don’t. That’s what you want to know, what you need to see and understand.”

William felt the wolfish grin sliding over his lips, the way his eyes shifted as the smile appeared. The way his lungs started shaking as a laugh slowly climbed out of his throat. It built at the back of his throat, a low chuckle before it became a deep, sorrowful laugh that resonated in the woods, bouncing off of trees and taunting him from every angle.

He laughed. William laughed because no matter what Coco saw in him, no matter what she couldn’t see in his eyes and what she didn’t know about him. She was right. So he laughed because he couldn’t do a damn thing to her. He could threaten her and kill her, but that wouldn’t change anything. He laughed because he had nothing to fight with. There wasn’t anything he could do. He was helpless. So he laughed, because the only other thing he could do was cry.

His laughter died slowly, bleeding away like blood pumping out of an vein. When it finally did and William’s breath came back he just said, “Well then, we’ll just have to see won’t we. Whether I turn out to be a man,” he withdrew the knife, pushing away from her and walking off. “Or a beast.” He cast those words behind him.

He had to walk away. He couldn’t face Coco. Not when she had so easily broken his mask, shifting it just enough to grasp the edge and pry at it. He couldn’t look at her smug smile.

Coco crossed her arms, her smirk accompanied by a bright look in her eyes, like she had finally seen progress in William. “No little wolf. I know exactly what you are. It’s you who have to realize what you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again. No edits. Straight off FFN.   
> It'll get better. I promise.   
> (Like. Chapter 13....)


	7. Living Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William's nightmares come to life.  
> Coco spends more time looking at William's combat style.  
> And analyzing what that means.

**Enslaved To A Flame**

**Chapter 7**

**Living Nightmares**

He was trapped in the nightmare as soon as his head hit the pillow and his eyes closed. The day had been long, and his emotions tried and worn. His mask fractured, a crack in it betraying his thoughts. Nightmares always invaded through them, plaguing him, making it weaker, betraying his abilities.

William should have known better than to even attempt to go to sleep with his mind frazzled and his thoughts mixed and in a jumble. He went to bed anything though, and now he was paying the price, reliving a memory that made him sick to his stomach.

The moonlight filtered through the dirty warehouse window. It was past midnight, but a few hours before dawn. William always worked during the night when he was younger, and this memory was no exception. He was young at the time, ten or twelve, no older. He had become a murderer that young.

He had messed up, an infiltration that wasn’t completely silent. He’d slid through the ductwork, popping out a vent. He hadn’t caught it fast enough, a corner nicking the catwalk, leaving a clear metallic ring throughout the facility. He had silenced it as quickly as it came, restraining the vent cap with a dozen wires that pulled the rest of the vibrations out of it.

The mistake was already made though, and the security alerted. Two night guards, patrolling around the warehouse. Its was a low risk target tonight, a simple part for one of Roman’s tinkering designs. In retrospect, William could now see that those parts contributed to the enhancement of the serum Roman used for torture.

He had cleared the catwalk and slid into hiding behind the crates lining the warehouse floor. Thirty minutes of waiting, then fifteen minutes to find his target. He stored it in a leather pouch, rushing back to his entry point. Only to stop, ice freezing his veins as shock and panic filtered through his system.

To this day he could make out the security guard, his head turning up from the discarded vent cap on the floor. He felt the bunching on his muscles as he pulled Moonlight Sonata off his back, wielding it like a claymore rather than a single handed sword. He could see the surprise flashing in the man’s violet eyes as silver sliced through flesh and cloth.

That was the first time he had killed a man. Blood trickled down the blade, staining his hands and the sleeves of his shirt. He had made a mistake back then, lingering as he stared at the body, frozen in shock at his own reaction.

Blood poured out of the wound, a diagonal slash, across his throat and down the left side of his body. His voice wheezed, air whooshing in and out of his lips, his violet eyes burning bright against the dark. For a moment the man saw beyond William, a thousand yard stare that looked upon something far more important than his killer.

One word slipped out of his lips. It didn’t take a genius to put together it was a name, of either a lover or a child, the man was old enough to be a father. William had made it out of the facility without a scratch or blunder after that. He never told Roman about it. Never spoke a word about the nightmares that started after that.

Tonight was no different, the corpse haunting his mind. The man had a family. The man had a wife or a daughter or someone. He had to. That name had to be something. And William had ripped that away from him, severed the bond and ended that life. Just as he had so many others.

He woke up to his own scream. A cry from his throat to stop. Because he couldn’t bear to see the first murder that corrupted his soul and stained his hands to happen again. William couldn’t withstand the surge of darkness and sorrow from that one event, that one twist of fate that swallowed his soul and plunged him into the darkness for good.

Tears had streaked down his cheeks. He felt them in the cool darkness of the tent, a hot splash against the icy cold sweats that claimed the rest of his body. He tore the blankets off his body, ripping off his shirt as he panicked to get calm. He needed time. He needed quiet. A place to settle his mind before anything happened.

“William?”

Moonlight Sonata appeared in his hands. There wasn’t a thought of where or how he pulled it out, his semblance yanked it into his hands as he pounced the intruder. His full weight sent them to the ground, one hand over a pair of soft lips, the back of his sword against that same wrist, the point leveled at the throat, the tip pressed against the soft vulnerable flesh.

He didn’t know who snuck into his tent or how they knew his name. Roman never sent another man with William. He acted solo, had since the first incident.

William’s shoulders tightened, the muscles easing the blade back a fraction as he shifted, preparing to slam the weapon down, through any resistance his attacker could make as well as their throat.

Moonlight made him pause. A slender beam lighting upon the body under him. Soft brown ears, light brown eyes filled with terror. Tears were in her eyes, but William’s hand had kept her silent. Velvet.

For a moment her ears turned white, her eyes turning a darker shade of brown. Blood trickled off his sword, staining her porcelain skin, pooling in the hollow of her throat. He could almost hear her voice as well, pleading for her life, begging him to save her.

He threw himself off Velvet nearly as quickly as he had taken her to the ground. He threw Moonlight Sonata, careless of the direction, so long as it wasn’t anywhere near her. He felt his stomach turn, disgust and shock making it clench. He barely pushed himself to his hands and knees before it pushed up, the contents dumping out of his mouth onto the ground.

Velvet was silent as William vomited onto the ground. She didn’t react when he rolled to the side, one hand to his head, the other clenched in a fist. His wide sea green eyes looking over, soaking in every detail of her expression.

Now he saw it. Coco hadn’t given him that expression, but he saw it in perfect clarity with Velvet. The look of horror on her face, terror in her soft brown eyes. The way her lips parted, every muscle in her legs and arms tensed. It wasn’t a fighting reaction, no she was about to run. The way she shook, her legs trembling, likely paralysed with fear.

William shook his head, staggering to his feet as he looked at her a final time. He’d crossed the line. That was it. He turned on his heels, taking off into the darkness. He didn’t care that he was dressed only in his pants, not even his boots on his feet. His only protection his semblance as a Aura Blade. None of that crossed his mind.

What did cross his mind was how close he was. How easy he had almost ended yet another life. A practiced easy stroke that he’d performed time and time again. And this time, he had almost taken an innocent life. He could fool himself that some of the men he’d killed over the years were bad men, slavers and drug dealers, arms dealers and mob boss’s. But they still chased him, asking him what right did he have to end their life.

So he ran. His bare feet thudding against the forest floor. He didn’t care he was leaving tracks so blatant a bat could see them. He just needed to get away. Away from the girl he almost killed that reminded him too much of yet another life he should have saved. Away from the woman that believed he couldn’t kill her because of a silly reason like seeing something in him.

William didn’t keep track of how long he ran. Long enough for his feet to finally blister and bleed. For the cut on his thigh to start pulsing, bleeding through the bandage, torn open by the pounding of the earth and the flexing of muscle. And when he had decided he ran long enough, William simply collapsed.

He hit the ground, tumbling around and ending in a lightly curled ball. He closed his eyes, listening to his own heart and focusing on his breathing. He had to calm down. He had to steady himself. He needed to put himself back together. Because if he fell apart one more time, he won’t be able to handle it.

He forced his thoughts on something he could handle. Pain. The ache in his soles, run raw from the pine cones, rocks and twigs he’d stomped through in his path. Roman had taught him long ago how to manage pain. How to push it to the back of his mind, to completely ignore crippling pain and work through it as if the injury wasn’t even there. There wasn’t a physical pain William wasn’t familiar with, that was something he was willing to bet on.

His Aura wrapped around his feet, pulsing brightly as it stopped the bleeding, taking the pain out of the wound. His skin would reknit slowly, a time consuming process, or perhaps the Aura would replace it entirely. William didn’t care. All he wanted was a distraction. Something to keep his rampant thoughts away, and his mission in mind.

A shaky laugh climbed out of his throat as William sat in the darkness. A low chuckle directed at himself. He was hopeless. He should have made this mission quick and clean. He had the perfect chance to kill Ruby. He should have taken it, slit her throat and torn through her Aura. Gouged out her throat and been on his way.

He could have disappeared long before someone found her body. Long before they analysed her wounds and found out who had murdered her. But he hadn’t. He had hesitated and now he was paying the price. Immersion into a weak society that was tugging at the fraying ends of his heart that should have been clipped and burned off long ago.

He snarled, shaking his thoughts away. Focus.

Focus.

Survive the mission.

Get back to Beacon.

Complete Roman’s mission.

Kill Ruby Rose.

Escape.

William nodded at himself, taking a few deep breaths. Nothing else mattered. Not his masks. Not this mission. Not Coco or Fox. Not why Coco cared about his safety. Not why Ozpin would always stare into his soul. Not why he felt his heart shriek when Velvet looked at him and shied away. And not what he thought about team CFVY. And certainly not what they thought of him. He would be a fleeting memory to them that would wither and fade.

Another hour passed, and William used that hour to sort through his thoughts and clarify his situation. He couldn’t escape. Roman would find him. There wasn’t a way out. He had to complete the job, in one way or another. He had to finish the job, not necessarily killing Ruby, but the main mission. Then he would be free.

He’d escape his father’s debt. Roman would let him loose. He’d no longer be just a possession, just another slave. He’d be human again.

‘With the blood on your hands?’ His mind asked. ‘You’re nothing more than a murderer and you know it.’

“Perhaps.” William replied, as he always did when his mind forced that question on him. Blood stained his hands and he knew it. Some of it by choice, some because he had no choice. Some of it was innocent blood, but there was also a great deal of dirty filthy blood on his hands, spewed from crime lords and killers just like Roman.

The scent of tea leaves and mint told him exactly who was coming. He had already distinguished each member of team CFVY’s scent, memorizing it as if it was a fingerprint or a voice. He didn’t turn around as the man approached, nor when he heard the soft scrape of steel sliding free of a scabbard.

“You really should kill me.” William advised on a whim. “It would end up better for all of us.”

“Perhaps I should.” Yatsuhashi agreed. “But that isn’t what I wanted to do. To kill man is to become something less than human, especially when he has not truly deserved it.”

His words were generalized, but the words still made William grimace. Less than human, just like Roman always said. He swallowed the emotions, guilty, pain, pity, regret, and instead put on a smirk.

“Even if I’m a murderer myself?” He asked, turning to look at the large man.

The heavy sword sunk into the ground, just enough to keep it standing as Yatsuhashi sat down.

“That does not matter. What does matter is right now, at this moment. Your past does not define you.” Yatushashi replied. “What I need you to do now is not to die. I need you to talk.”

William bristled, his shoulders tightening. Yatsuhashi didn’t know anything. The man wasn’t clever enough to put together all of William’s clues and hints and sarcastic comments and careful wording. “There isn’t anything to talk about. Just kill me. Velvet would feel much safer.”

William didn’t need to know how to romance to know that the Faunus and the samurai were attracted. He knew enough about affection to see it in their eyes, the hasty glances, the more than friendly way Velvet always checked in on him. How they fought side by side and trusted each other completely.

William wasn’t sure what was pushing him. He could win in a fight against Yatsuhashi. He knew he could. But he still wanted that fight. That rush of adrenaline that rested on the edge of death. If he was lucky he would end up slaughtered, carelessness killing him. He never was though. Roman had drilled survival and tenacity into him far too many times for him to die so easily.

“Why do you want to die?”

“It would be better for everyone if I had never existed.” William replied honestly. He knew it would be. Roman wouldn’t have risen as high in the Underground as he had if William hadn’t been by his side, gaining territory, serving as an assassin to expand his influence, reinforce his threats and capitalize on weakness. Without him, Roman would be just above a gang boss, nothing noteworthy, and certainly not someone Cinder would have contacted.

“Why do you say that?”

“Reasons you don’t need to know.”

“That may be true. But it effects my team and I’d like to know. If you cannot answer that, tell me why you are afraid you will hurt my teammates.”

William felt the loaded question as soon as it left Yatsuhashi’s mouth. He smiled, looking up at him. “You know I could. Whether you recognize it or not, Velvet could have died tonight. Moonlight and memory saved her tonight, nothing more. And even before that, Coco shouldn’t have pushed me that far, any further and I wouldn’t have given a damn what she thought.”

“We both know there is a lie in your apparent truth.”

“You’re lacking a point with your philosophy samurai.” William snapped. “Get to a point or get the hell away. I’ll make my own way back to Beacon.”

The samurai got to his feet, stretching before he picked up his sword, turning and sweeping it around. The blade stopped, resting gently on William’s jaw.

“I can kill you right now. But I don’t. Because I want to know you. You are a mystery that has given my partner pause, and made her hurt inside. You make her sad when she looks at you. She calls you a wounded wolf. A beast so wounded you’ll snap at anything. And I want to know why. And then I want to fix it. All of us do. Coco and Fox especially. You’ve really peaked Fox’s interest.”

William snorted. “So what? Now I’m a charity case? I’m something for you to fix? What if I don’t want to be fixed. Why can’t I just be put down like the wounded dog I am? Huh?” He said sharply, glaring openly at the bigger man. “Why can’t you do that? I’m scum. I’m deserve to die. Everyone’s been telling me that for seventeen years and I think at this point I’ve started to believe it. Anyone who has believed in me is dead. So you know what I’ve dealt with? I’ve dealt with pain, hate and life generally being a bitch. That makes me bitter. So I think I have a pretty damn good reason for wanting to be dead. Huh?” He barked, his tone angry as he rose up on one arm to better glare at the man.

Yatsuhashi chuckled, smiling. “Well. We believe in you.”

William opened his mouth for a snappy retort, and then fell silent. He held his expression for a moment, and then growled, throwing himself down again.

“Come on back. We’re waiting on you.” Yatsuhashi said, getting up. “We’re waiting for the W in the team to stop being stupid and get in his bed so we can all go back to sleep. Velvet isn’t mad at you. Neither am I. We know you have some trouble in your past.” William snorted at that. “And we forgive you. We’re ready for some problems with that.” He held out a hand for William.

William groaned, staring at it. “I don’t believe you.” Then he took the offered hand, pulling himself up, the light casting light on the scars decorating his body. Yatushashi didn’t stare, didn’t seem to notice, except for a quirk of the lips. “But since you didn’t kill me. I’ll give you the benefit of a doubt.” He finished with a heavy sigh. “But I can’t go to sleep. Not after the nightmare I just had.”

Yatsuhashi nodded. “Then I’m sure Velvet would like company. You should talk. Open up. She’ll understand better than anyone else.”

William snorted. “Right. Because I’ve only tried to kill her once. Of course. She’ll instantly understand all of my heartfelt problems.” He replied.

“She may.” Yatsuhashi replied with a smile. He didn’t wait for William’s reply and instead walked away in the direction of the camp.

William let out a frustrated snarl. They were too soft, to forgiving. They would regret it when his mission was finished. They would regret not killing him right here and right now.

“Again. I doubt it.” William muttered, following the giant back to camp. Coco and Fox were waiting on them. Velvet was sitting by the fire, nursing a cup of what William assumed was tea. She was calming her nerves. Her ears pulled flat to the top of her head.

At their approach Coco and Fox slipped into their shared tent. Yatushashi joined Velvet of a moment, touching her shoulder, giving her a smile before returning to his bed. And then he too retired, leaving Velvet, the victim, with William, the monster.

The rabbit faunus was silent for quite some time before she spoke, catching William by surprise. He stood far enough away from her to give her plenty of space, and allowing her to avoid looking at him if she desired, but close enough for her to tell him to leave without waking the others.

She spoke first, which surprised him. “I’m sorry William.” Her words came out soft, but firm and with conviction. As if she really thought she did something wrong.

“Sorry I almost killed you.” William’s reply was blunt, rude even, but he didn’t want to further the conversation.

Velvet’s gaze dropped from his eyes, turning to his chest, which had remained bare through the entire event. William watched the shock form, then the horror, and then the pity which was quickly replaced by a new wave of genuine regret in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. William felt the wolfish grin on his lips, but he chose not to speak his mind.

He headed to his tent, retrieving his shirt, pulling it on, thankful for the long sleeves that hid all of his scars and memories. Moonlight Sonata rested on his bedroll, likely retrieved. He stared at it for a moment, disgust echoing in his mind. A moment later it passed and he grabbed the weapon, holding it close to his chest as he headed back.

“You should sleep.” Velvet recommended quietly from her spot by the fire.

“If you think I can still sleep after the nightmare I woke up from and the nightmare I almost made real, then you should have a white tail instead of brown ears.” William replied sharply.

Velvet made a yelping noise, reaching up and holding her ears. William felt hot shame pool in his stomach as he realized his words had cut deeper than he had thought or intended them to. He moved away from her, heading to a tree and climbing up into the branches, above her and out of sight. He leaned back against the trunk, casting his eyes up to the canopy.

The wind rustled the branches, shifting the leaves and letting traces of starlight slip through to reach his eyes. William basked in it, taking the sight in. Stars hadn’t been a thing he had time to sit down and look at. In the city the lights were always on, and there was never any time. Always another name on a list, another plan, another mission.

William chuckled, taking solace in the astral lights. Even if his world was twisting around and flipping so violently it left his head spinning. The sun still rose, the moon still set. And the stars would still shine the next night. Even when people tried to pry deep into who he was or why he was, the moon and the stars never asked.

He regarded Moonlight Sonata for a moment, the silver blade resting in his lap. He adjusted his thighs, letting a shaft of light hit the silver blade. The slice of light reflected cleanly off the blade, shooting into the darkness of the world.

“What is the sound of moonlight?” He whispered the question. The reason for his weapon’s name. Because the moon could be beautiful to some, music and magic. And to hit it could mean death, blood and misery. A collection of pain and sorrow that trickled through masks and laced them with pain.

Coco was doing a good job of finding ways to chip at those masks. Casting questions and putting reason to his recklessness. It hurt, realizing his facade was so breakable, but perhaps he needed to play a better game of lies instead of a game of mystery.

Velvet’s shift ended soon, the Faunus being replaced by Fox. The blind man didn’t talk, and instead spent his time huddled under the tree William had selected, his arms crossed. William stayed awake through Fox’s shift, and Coco’s shift, which took up the morning. He napped once or twice, jerking himself awake before he could fall too far into the darkness.

When the sky started to lighten he started moving. He struck out from the tree, using his wires to traverse the treetops, running across the wires like tightropes to survey the ground below the campgrounds. He had done the same the previous night, which was how he had tracked the pigs down, as well as disposed of a handful of Grimm that had passed close to their campsite.

This morning his path was clear, and it left him little to do until the others woke. Even when the others woke, he stayed in his chosen spot. He could tell they were still unsettled from last night. Yatsuhashi had bags under his eyes. Fox’s shoulders were tight. Coco was slow, and she set straight to making a cup of coffee. He was wearing on the team since he didn’t mesh well with them.

They called him down for breakfast but he refused, instead turning his attention to the woods again. He patrolled again, giving them time to talk and relax. When he returned from his route, Coco was waiting for him, Fox by her side with his weapons. She called him down, a hard look in her eyes. William knew better than to argue today.

“What is it?” He asked, dropping to the ground and taking a few steps forward to stand over her.

“Practice sparring. I don’t want to see you getting hurt like you did yesterday, and I can’t trust you to do it on you own. So every morning, Fox and you will spar. And I will judge your actions.” She explained.

William was tempted to point out that he could handle Fox. He was even more tempted to prove it. But his mission wasn’t to show off how combat oriented he was. It certainly wasn’t to start a pointless fight. So instead he took a few steps back and drew Moonlight Sonata. He squared up against, angling it down.

Fox was shorter than he was, and his weapons only allowed for extreme close combat. William would be at a disadvantage if he got too close, but William knew he had a few Aces up his sleeve. The least of which were his fists.

“Begin.” Coco announced.

Fox rushed in, his arm blades crossed in a defensive position. He came out of it just before they clashed, two swipes aimed at William’s chest. William scowled. He had misread him, assumed that reach mattered to the hunter. He managed two awkward parries with the base of the blade before retreating a step.

Fox pressed him for that distance, but let him escape. Moonlight Sonata twirled around, expanding out into it’s bow form. Fox gave him a confused look, but stepped back in.

William lashed out twice, wielding it like a bo staff. Fox parried beautifully, but was wholly unprepared as William’s heel swung around, knocking his arm out wide. The bow drew back, an arrow on the string. Fox rushed in to close the distance to make the shot impossible.

William jumped, bunching up as his eyes focused on his target. Orange blades crossed. A blue arrow slipped between them, slipping clean through Fox’s guard and by his neck before it buried into the ground.

William twisted away in the air, dropping his weapon to balance on his hands. He swung his legs around, using his weight and his metal heels to knock Fox off balance. Fox proved he was fast though, weaving through a pair of heavy kicks to bear down on William.

The blades came down on William. He rolled back, letting the blades barely miss him. He came to his feet, Moonlight Sonata behind Fox. He stepped into Fox’s flurry of blades, casting out his aura. Wires wove between him and the trees, tension creating mini barricades for Fox to work around.

The blind brawler hardly seemed phased, instead twisting and adjusting his blades to slice between the wires to strike at William. William’s lips teased back in a savage grin. His eyes lit up as he watched Fox move through his wires. He threw a hand out, a wire shooting out from his fingers.

He stepped into Fox’s next attack. Hesitation appeared for a split second, but disappeared as Moonlight Sonata sprung into his hand, whipping around Fox and into William’s awaiting hand.

Steel scraped against steel, William nose-to-nose with Fox. “You’re not even close to being blind.” he whispered, just low enough for Coco to miss it.

Fox’s eyes widened for a fraction, his strength slipping. William twisted through his guard, bringing his leg up and slamming the heel into Fox’s jaw. The brawler snarled, his head arched back, his neck exposed. Dead. William took a step back, glancing at Coco.

“Nearly killed yourself twice there.” She noted calmly, looking completely unfazed that he just went toe to toe with her CQC and came out ahead. Which meant either she had a good poker face, or Fox had been holding back and she knew it. William couldn’t be sure which.

“Got the upperhand from it though.” William countered.

“You’d tear off your arm if you thought it would help you run faster.” She shot back sharply, a flash of rage in her coffee brown eyes.

William gave her a smile. “Perhaps. But why waste something like that? If I try hard enough I could beat someone to death with the limb after I amputate it.”

She gave him a look of disgust, but turned away. “Not a scratch today William. Or I’m sending you back to Beacon. Do you understand?”

The wild wolf chuckled, his seagreen eyes flaring at the statement. He took it as a challenge. Just another exercise, just like the ones William would give him. “Of course.”

Coco gave him another sharp look, but it didn’t carry the same weight it had a moment ago. William smiled through it. She turned away, instead rallying her team together and giving details about today’s operations. William couldn’t help but wonder if she was placing him with Fox because of position, or because Fox was likely the only one that could match pace with him and keep William from going out of control.

They set out in a new direction. Velvet was leading, a shift in the formation from yesterday. Yesterday William had led them, and dove into the combat as soon as it appeared. William took a backburning for the duration of their combat, working side by side with Fox, matching the CQC’s movements and keeping his head clear of any bloodlust.

Coco called out orders, coordinating William better than she had yesterday, guiding him instead of instructing him. She’d refined it though, calling out high priority targets for him instead of wasting breath and time locating them. William had more than enough skill to navigate the battlefield and reach, find and eliminate any target.

The day passed quickly, not that William cared. He had spent most of the day working out the kinks he’d developed overnight, stretching sore and bruised muscles he sustained from the Beringel. CFVY set to their evening routines when they reached the camp. Coco brewed a pot of coffee, Yatsuhashi set out hunting. Velvet took to sitting on the far side of the camp.

William didn’t have to glance at her to know why. Her eyes rested on him, shifting quickly to anything else when he looked at her. Her ears perked up sporadically, like she was trying to fake not being terrified. He met her gaze once, and to his surprise, he found something other than fear in her brown eyes. Concern. She was still worried about him, even if he scared her.

It was an anomaly that he hadn’t considered, and one that outlined her foolishness. Coco called him a wolf. That wouldn’t be far from the truth, and any Faunus knew that cornered animals lashed out at anything.

He stood apart from all of them, watching their routines and observing their nature. He had already made a gap between them. There was no need to reinforce it, only to let that wedge slide in and let that gap expand naturally.

He woke in the morning in a cold sweat. He headed straight to the river, bathing in it and washing both it and the dream away in the lukewarm water. When the rest of the team awoke, Coco had him spar with Fox again. He took it slower today, the excitement lost, his attention elsewhere.

Roman came to mind several times, and William’s thoughts wandered. Fox scored a few scratches, but both fighters could tell neither was trying. Fox was conserving his strength for the Grim. William was conserving it for the moment Coco let him off his leash.

He couldn’t blame her for restraining him. He knew his fighting style. He knew it because he had built it precisely for the reasons she was wary of it. His fighting style was incredibly lethal, both to his opponents, and himself. He balanced on the edge of death and stared the Grim Reaper in the eye, waiting for that hand to snatch him over the edge. His life was just a black blot in the history books anyway. The sooner he died the better off. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it straight out, but he still leaned towards it in combat. Suicide was something he wouldn’t consider fully. His mother had made sure he wouldn’t go for that. She hadn’t mentioned anything about impaling himself on someone else’s sword to stab them through the eye though.

The days passed quickly to William. It was just another mission, with a different type of slaughter each day. CFVY went to bed tired each day, and woke every morning with more kinks and cramps than the previous day. Team CFVY wasn’t built for long missions.

William could see it. None of them had the hard survival instincts and abilities needed for prolonged field missions. Fox was the closest, but even he was slower, worn down from fighting and dull rations. He was slow on counters in the morning, his blades no longer flickering orange blurs. He paced himself differently as well, lowering his stance and hunching his shoulders.

Yatsuhashi tired differently. His strength weaned, forcing him to dodge instead of block. William had observed him closely, measuring his reflexes and speed. Those two areas seemed to maintain themselves, but he was compromising. He lept out of the way of Ursa now, and skirted the larger Grim until Fox and William had weakened it.

Velvet’s weapon was still a mystery. Coco had given her permission to copy William, but that didn’t give him any clues about it. It didn’t help Coco had advised her to keep those copies until a desperate hour due to William’s style. She clung to Yatsu as well, hiding her meager frame closer to his bulk as the combat wore on.

Coco took it the worst of them all. Her Aura didn’t replenish overnight. She ate a large meal than anyone else and looked exhausted by the fourth day. She used her minigun sparingly, and waded into to combat by Yatushashi more often wielding it as a handbag. Her strength was unchanged, but she moved little during a fight, planting her feet and warding attacks off one after the other until she was reinforced or she had to retreat.

That said nothing of the other strains William could see on her body.

Leadership put a strain on her. She strove to check on everyone, and tried to set the shifts so she would get the longest watch. Her muscles were tense, even in the evenings. Her smug smirk morphed into tightly pressed lips. On the sixth day it formed a scowl.

William kept his comments to himself. He knew he was irregular. He stayed up late and woke early, either from a nightmare or insomnia. He was used to it. He took the others shifts without asking, letting his shift bleed into the next, or when he woke up he relieved the guard because he knew they needed sleep and that was something he wouldn’t see for another twenty hours.

Fox was the only one that refused, sitting his watch regardless if William was awake or not. He woke up on time as well, relieving the guard timely and without complaint. Fox was the lynchpin. He smoothed Coco’s frayed nerves and tired mind. William glimpsed that every time he ducked into their tent to wake Coco for her watch. He was always late to get her, giving her shorter and shorter shifts as he took more and more of it. She was always angry about it, but she couldn’t do anything since she needed the sleep.

Despite that, William found that he respected how well they held it together for a team. They might not be street-level and their endurance may be below his, but they compensated and overcame. The seventh day was as much as a grind as the sixth. They ran into a nest of Deathstalkers around dusk, and spent the last hour fighting in the twilight before heading back.

No one voiced their thoughts that the mission should have ended. It was a five day mission, and they were already two days over, with no sign of the Grim thinning to a sufficient degree. Coco kept her scroll charged, a little solar array that William wished he had. His scroll had died a by the third day. Roman would live without info for a while, but he’d expect a long report when William got his scroll charged.

By the ninth day, William could see CFVY was done. They were exhausted, worn down to the bone. Yatsuhashi kept his sword in the holster while they walked, and was slow on the draw. Coco let William scout again, and he took pleasure in engaging and eliminating as many threats as he could before they caught up. She was too tired to give him anything more than a mild warning and an empty threat. Fox did his best to keep up.

When they retired to the camp that night, William headed straight to the river, switching his uniform to a pair of gym shorts he had found in the pack. He wasn’t sure why they were they, but he was grateful. Fox accompanied him, taking a seat on the bank as William waded in up to his knees.

“You keeping up?” Fox asked as William dropped himself into the water.

He submerged fully, casting out his semblance and anchoring to various rocks and growth on the bottom of the bank. He floated there for a time, feeling the current pushing against his body and the pressure of the air in his lungs. He exhaled slowly, the bubbles trickling against the stubble he’d grown over the week.

When his breath had run out he stood up, shaking his head and wiping his eyes. Only then did he answer Fox’s question.

“It’s you that’s tiring. Don’t deny it.” William took a seat beside Fox on the bank, keeping his feet in the water.

“That’s true. But you’re tiring as well. You haven’t quite preformed to your usual standard. At least not today.” Fox put in, giving him a hard look, an impressive feat giving the man couldn’t even see William’s eyes, yet always managed to locate them.

“Perhaps. Less from the combat. More from the flashbacks.” William replied easily. “Maybe cramps. I’ve had one under my shoulder blade for a while now.” He had snapped the bowstring tight the previous day during a shot, and the draw weight was too much for his worn muscles to fully handle. He kept it at that weight all day though, and now he was paying the price.

“Excuses. You’re tired too. Your Aura might not be linked to ours, but Coco can see it, and she’s been voicing her concern about it for some time. It’s been green for a while and she can’t figure out why. Today it’s gone. You’ve been using your semblance all day.”

William pulled his feet out of the water, stretching and cracking his neck. He chose not to answer, and instead let the topic drop. Fox took the silence well, kicking off his shoes and sticking his toes into the water.

“Are you ready to return to Beacon? Coco called ahead. We’ll be leaving in the morning. Another team will come back and finish anything we haven’t. I think we cleared out a good majority of it thought.” Fox informed him. The question caught William by surprise, and it took a moment for him to answer.

He turned his seagreen eyes from the river water to the setting sun, and then the rising moon. He pursed his lips, considering the prospect.

When he returned he would have to update Roman. Kill Ruby. Maintain tabs on Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. Pass all his classes and do make up work for any subject he didn’t know. Coupling that with whatever Ozpin had in stored for him, and suddenly William had cold feet. Too many games were being played, and he didn’t know enough about any of them to play his own pieces.

“I can’t say that I am.” The answer was honest. And it surprised him until he realized why. He trusted Fox. Not with everything, but he trusted the blind man enough to be honest about somethings. He was hardy, and William had admittedly leaned on him in combat, fighting back to back with him in some cases.

“Any particular reason why?” Fox asked, pressing the issue. He was seeking information.

“Nothing that I’m willing to tell you, Coco or anyone else alive.” William replied.

“Then I’ll be guessing it has something to do with your uncle. He wouldn’t have sent you to Beacon from Vacuo without a good reason. Perhaps he’s got business here?”

William knew he shouldn’t answer that question. He shouldn’t entertain that thought, it was dangerously close to giving his secret away, letting Fox know his uncle, or anyone related to William, had business in Beacon wasn’t good. Especially not if they started linking William’s scars and conditions back to them. William answered it anyway.

“Of a sort. He’s just a businessman though, looking at a company that’s about to break. He plans to take over and reap the profits before it collapses and take what he can off the remains.” William explained, elaborating far more than he should.

“Sounds like a bad businessman.”

“Sounds like business to me.” William replied. “It’s not bad or good or evil or right. It’s just money, changing hands.” He looked over at Fox. “That’s just good business.”

“I don’t think I’d like your uncle.”

“I don’t like my uncle.” William said, getting to his feet and turning back towards camp. “But that’s just a matter of business.”

The comment caught Fox’s attention, but William had finished exposing himself for Fox. If Fox was clever he could put some of the pieces together, but not before it was too late. Roman was looking to take over a failing organization. The only problem was, that organization was Beacon. And it would fall, and it would go up in flames. All because of William.

“Would you answer this question for me?” Fox asked, making William stop. He tucked his hands into the shorts pockets, refusing to turn around for him.

“Shoot.”

Fox didn’t ask right away. He seemed to weigh his words before he spoke them, and the weight of them seemed to double when William heard them. “I have trouble reading you William. You come off as a dark terrible person some days, or even when I feel your Aura in combat. Like a whirlwind of blood and fury, just looking for another body to make a corpse, and you don’t care if it’s theirs or yours that becomes it. Then other times I can look at you, and I feel this shattered shell of tattered memories and a broken mind. Like someone smashed you long ago and you healed all wrong in every way possible. You are plagued by more demons than I believe I can name, and I know you won’t tell anyone why. So my question is, which ones of those are you?”

The question was something William had seen coming. CFVY was smart, they’d picked up on his cracked masks. Coco had pried at it with her offhanded humor and intrusive way of getting to know him. Yatsuhashi had chipped at it when he found William. Velvet wore on it every time William looked at her, her brown fur shifting to white, and then bleeding it back to red and then brown. But Fox wore it simply because William felt he could trust him. And that was a feeling he hadn’t had it a while. The blind fighter was genuine.

William pursed his lips, glad that he hadn’t turned around. He swallowed, licking his teeth as he thought. “Both. For a lot of different reason. I am warring with myself everyday and night, and the more I fight myself, the more it hurts and the more broken I become. Some days I can control it. Some days I can’t. And some days it snaps, and I have nightmares that bleed into reality. Velvet learned that when I first met her. It’s just what I became. So your answer is I am both. I have dealt with more than you can comprehend, and more than I am ever going to be willing to share. And I have done some things that I can’t say are right. And I’ve done somethings I know are wrong. I shouldn’t exist, but I do. And that tortures me every day as well.”

Fox nodded slowly, soaking in William’s words. Coco would hear about it later, William would bet on it. But he didn’t care. He had spoken his mind, and it took some of the weight off his shoulders. His mask was chipped, but the skin underneath it hadn’t run Fox off. Not yet. But that was all William was willing to share. Just a shard of it.

“Fair enough.” Fox finally acknowledged. “But let me tell you one thing, and let me make it clear. Everyone deserves to exist. For one reason or another you have lived and survived to this moment, and until your purpose in life is met, you cannot die. Fate has a plan for you William Faolan Lance, whether you want to admit it or not. You are alive for a reason. Your past does not become your future. Your past is not a shackle, but a guideline, and one that can easily be turned from. If all you think of is the past, you will never live in the present, and you will never realize the future is still in the making until it's too late. Life isn’t simple. It shouldn’t be. You have to struggle and find your own way in this darkness, and make your own way through it.”

“And if my life leads to the destruction of hundreds of other lives?” William asked, the question out of his lips before he could filter or stop it. The reply was heated, a jab at death.

“Then that’s no one’s choice but your own. I don’t know what situation you’re in. But I do know that you don’t want to kill anyone. You don’t even want to kill yourself. That choice is yours William. And you can take responsibility for where you life is headed, or let the ship drive itself, and have no one to blame but your own stupid choices.”

William snorted, shaking his head as he started walking again. “Everyone says that. I don’t believe it. Sometimes, you don’t have a choice.”

Fox grinned, a cheeky expression that told William he had said something similar long ago. “You always have a choice. It’s just a matter of it you want to see it or not.”

“For a blind man you sure use the phrase ‘see’ a lot. Trying to be philosophical here or just that annoying teenage monk type?” William asked suddenly, shifting the topic so abruptly Fox couldn’t easily change it back.

Fox shrugged, letting the subject die. He recognized William’s apprehension to the topic. William would learn on his own time, with his own terms. And there was nothing Fox could do to fix or fight that.

Fox drifted away, letting the darkness set in before he spoke again.

“It’s your choice William. And there isn’t a soul who can make those choices for you.”

To anyone else, that comment would have been out of place. It would have been relating to a past topic that didn’t take place in the present. To William though, his mind filled with a hundred different thoughts and ideas at any given time. It focused them on his conversation, his choices and thoughts for just a moment. And that moment was all that was needed for William to grimace and realize all the faults he had made for letting Roman steer his course.

He had made plenty of mistakes in his life. But he supposed his biggest was turning Roman into a dictator, with more power over him than anyone else. William sighed, shrugging to himself as he watched the others turn in. He could do nothing about the past, and could only affect the future. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.

William turned in for the night, giving the watch over, it wasn’t his to begin with, and slipping into his tent. He set Moonlight Sonata to the side, peeling off his shirt and draping it over the weapon. He didn’t want to look at it tonight. He laid back on the bedroll, closing his eyes and trying to focus on anything except for his crimes.

He heard her name instead. A premonition almost as it slipped into his ear. Said in that dying guards voice. And then it was gone, swept away by the wind and replaced by a sleep William had needed for a long time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When William woke up the next morning sunlight was shining through the tent walls. He sat up with a jerk, fear creeping into his heart. He’d slept through dawn. He hadn’t done that since… He shook off the uncertainty and instead grabbed Moonlight Sonata and his shirt, crawling out of his tent to see the situation.

The tents had been broken down, all except for his. One of his carved plates was set by the fire, a rich brown handkerchief draped over it. Velvet was crouched by the fire, prodding the coals with a long stick. She looked up at him as he approached, making no effort to hide his chest.

She shrunk away from him, visibly shaken by the deep scars. He watched her expression with interest. Her ears flattened, her eyes looked scared. A tightness in her shoulders appeared, her back slouched just a little bit more. Then she rallied, straightening her back as she stood up, swallowing a lump in her throat as she moved towards him. Her arms went behind her back, no doubt she was holding one of her wrists.

“You slept longer than usual. I didn’t hear you during my shift either.” She muttered, her voice low, but William could still hear her soft accent.

“This is probably as late as I’ve ever slept in years.” William replied, watching her expression brighten. She was pleased with herself, secretly applauding her progress of facing her fears. “Be careful cottontail. I’m unstable.” William warned her, moving past her to the plate.

William would give her credit where she was due. His comment disturbed her, but she took a seat across from him as he picked up the plate. She didn’t talk, her eyes roaming his scars. He ate quickly, setting the plate aside when he finished.

“Where are the others?” He asked, pulling his shirt on as he headed back to his tent to pack it up.

“Coco and Fox are calling the Bullhead in now. Yatushashi is carrying their bags.” Velvet explained. “I’m here. Coco wanted someone to wait for you in case there were any Grim around.”

William nodded, and set to breaking down his tent. He packed it up, bundling it up in the duffle and zipping it up. He slung it over his back and picked up Velvets before she could. He didn’t do it out of kindness, but to push Velvet to use her weapon if Grim attacked. He hadn’t seen her use it and it was starting to interest him. Something related to that camera of hers. He was sure of it.

The opportunity never came. They caught up to Coco and Fox too soon. Yatsuhashi had dropped their bags in a pile, so William tossed his and Velvets in to join them. Then he took a post on the edge of the woods, his eyes on Coco, who was trying to make a call with her scroll.

Fox was balanced on the top of a tree, an extendable antenna in his hand, reaching out into the sky for better service. William bit his lip, glancing at Fox’s leg, considering it as he let his semblance out. He could definitely pull his leg a little and Fox would catch himself.

He mulled the idea over in his head, then cut it off abruptly. Mission. Not playtime. Even if Fox was an interesting fellow. He likely didn’t enjoy being jerked out of a tree. Coco certainly wouldn’t.

William assumed Coco got signal when she collapsed the scroll and called for Fox to get down. She dropped to the ground, walking over to him and leaning against the tree, giving him a tired look.

“Sleep well?” She asked.

“Better than you.” William replied without missing a beat.

Cocos expression turned sour, but she shrugged. “Fair enough. But you didn’t wake up screaming last night. So I assume you’re doing better.”

“Better is highly subjective.” William warned her. “Use a better word if you want a real answer. I slept better. Sure.”

“Was your sleep peaceful?” Coco corrected, giving him a look that he couldn’t quite place.

“Hardly. But it was longer than I’ve had in years.” William answered honestly. He wasn’t sure why he’d told her that. Nor the tip about wordage. Maybe she was wearing on him.

“Glad to hear it’s improved in some aspects. I suppose you have too many demons in your closet to ever really sleep peacefully.”

William shrugged, his ears picking up the high pitched whine of engines. “Maybe. Haven’t lived long enough to figure that one out. Hadn’t planned on living until I get gray hair and finally make peace with all of them.”

“At least try to live long enough to have a family William. I’d enjoy telling your children about their edgy father who has a smoking problem.”

William started, but kept his reaction calm. He hadn’t touched a cigarette since he’d arrived. Thought about it plenty, but he hadn’t touched them. Never pulled out a pack or a stick at any given time. How had Coco known?

“My father smokes.” Coco replied, reading his expression. “It’s easy to see the ticks if you know them. The way your fingers fold, how you cup your lip, a part around your lips that closes at the tips, perfect for cradling one. Deep exhales when you’re tense, as if you’re thinking about it. You’re not the only one that can read expressions and mannerisms William.”

William felt a wolfish smile take his lips. He hadn’t expected that. He had underestimated her. He chuckled, letting the deep rumble come out. “Careful who you play this game with Coco. You might get into something you aren’t ready for.” He glanced at her, his eyes picking at the little details about her outfit, her makeup, skin condition, and then diving into the depths of her eyes.

“You can’t pull out anything that Ozpin hasn’t.” She replied, meeting his gaze with a hard resolve.

William narrowed his eyes, then shrugged. He knew what he needed to know. She wasn’t easy to read, but he had gleaned what he needed off her. Anything else would only matter in blackmail or personal details.

“Another time to pick at your past.” William replied, turning away as the Bullhead pulled into the skies above the clearing. “We have Nevermore.” He nodded to the small dark shapes hurtling around the Bullhead, skirting around it for potshots at the cockpit and cargo bay.

Moonlight Sonata unfolded in his hands, and he pulled the string back to his lip, carefully adding another finger to guide the second arrow he formed on the string. He fired, both arrows flying true, hitting a single Nevermore and knocking it out of the sky.

Coco’s minigun whined to life, peppering the sky, taking out three of them and driving the stragglers away. William picked another off, leaving a lonely pair to escape. Some Grim learned quickly.

“Is it safe?”

“For the moment. Hurry!” Coco barked into the comms. “Land already and get us out of here!”

The Bullhead spiraled down into the clearing, but William didn’t bother moving towards it. He had already heard a problem. He spun on his heels, pulling his bowstring back to his lip.

“William?” Coco hesitated, seeing him react.

“Load the Bullhead.” He replied. “Quickly. Something’s coming.”

“Yatushashi! Double time!” She barked out, rushing to help.

William let the arrow fly, watching the blue arrow disappear into the darkness. He knew it hit something, a blue spark and then the glow disappeared. He fired again, watching the arrow arch into the woods, lost in the trees. Again he felt it hit, but it didn’t seem to stick.

“Something big.” He mused softly, constructing another arrow.

He changed the headshape, a spiraled tip. The spin would throw his accuracy off, but he could still hit something like this. He pulled it back to his lip, only now seeing the red glow in the trees. He fired again.

He felt the arrow hit, but again it skidded off. He gritted his teeth. What could it be? He couldn’t tell from this distance.

“Interference!” He barked out to Coco.

“Hold back! Draw it in and let us assault it!” She called. “I’ll get in the Bullhead for aerial support!”

William held back, chewing on his lip as he tried to wrestle the details of the beast from between the trees and the shade of the morning sun. It was too big to be ordinary. The forest was old, but it should have been cleared out regularly, which pointed to the Grim being young and naturally big, or old and wise.

Trees shook in the distance, disturbing baby Nevermores. Fox carefully positioned himself across from William. Yatushashi filled the center and Velvet kept to the back. The Bullhead eased off the ground, Coco in the cargo bay, her minigun spinning slowly.

That was when William saw it, his memories flashing back to when he’d seen a corpse just like it in Roman’s lab. He took a step back, then steeled himself.

“Drake!” He yelled, taking in the massive creature. ITs head was easily the size of the Bullhead, but it’s body was lean and whip like despite it’s size. Scales covered its body, leading all the way down to it’s slender tail. William’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the tail. Too slender, not for stabilization, but attacking.

“A what?” Coco asked, her voice coming through the comms.

“A Drake.” William repeated, “Watch the tail. Heavy armor, difficult to pierce, Yatushashi will have the best luck at it. Underbelly is flesh, but it’s thick, like a DeathStalkers hide. This one looks a lot bigger than the last one I saw.”

“You’ve seen one of these things before?” Fox asked, shooting him a confused look and cocking an eyebrow.

“Not the time!” William barked back.

It had been weaving between trees to the clearing up until this point, but it ducked down, bucking up. William’s eyes widened as he realized the muscle movements. He dropped to the ground as it launched forward.

Trees exploded, shattering into splinters, at least one was torn straight out of the ground, throwing dirt and sand into the air. William kept his head down, feeling and sensing rather than seeing the beast as it came into the clearing.

He rolled to his feet, the beast behind him and Coco in front of him.

“Aim for it’s eyes!” He instructed, cracking his eyes to see if the air was clear.

The dirt had hit the ground already, but there was another problem now. The Drake was in the clearing, a tree clenched in its jaws, adding an easy thirty feet to it’s reach, and that didn’t include its tail.

Gunfire peppered the Drake’s face. It snarled, swinging it’s head around, the tree reaching for the Bullhead. The Bullhead pulled back, flaring backwards to avoid it. William pursed his lips. They needed to make it drop that thing if they wanted to take off. There was no chance they’d be able to kill it, not with what they had at the moment.

“Fox! Cover Yatsuhashi!” Coco called. “Let him for for it’s legs! William go for it’s mouth! Velvet! You have my permission, any of our sets, and that includes Williams!”

“Roger!” Velvet replied, cracking her neck, a confidence growing about her as she rushed forward.

William folded Moonlight Sonata back into its bladed form as he ran to the Grim. He needed to climb it’s body to get to it’s face. Then he could strike it’s exposed gums and the weaker scales around it’s face. Maybe take out an eye. Coco’s gunfire was doing a good job of keeping it off balance and blind, but she could only do so much with her Aura before she ran out.

Yatsuhashi was closer, and he drew the monsters attention. William saw the attack coming, yelling for Yatsuhashi to block. He barely managed to before the massive forepaw slapped him aside, sending him tumbling across the clearing. William was barely out of range, and Fox managed to jump over it, but nothing more.

“Velvet?” William called back.

“Ready.”

“Let’s go.” William said, unsure when he assumed command of her, or even if it was a conscious thing. He just knew what he was about to attempt would be easier with a second pair of hands and eyes.

Velvet stayed on his tail as he charged, keeping up his speed. He checked on the beast, but its attention was on Fox, who was tearing into its scales with furious slashes. Most sparked off, but a handful cleaved into the tender flesh hidden underneath the scales.

William cast out his semblance, sending a thread around the Drake’s chest and coiling it around it’s leg. He tugged on it, wrapping the thread around his wrist so the force wouldn’t be on his fingers.

He reached back for Velvet’s hand. “Ready?”

Her hand fell in his, and he staggered, a memory hitting him.

White hair, fresh cotton colored ears and yellow eyes. He swallowed, squeezing Velvet’s hand to focus on the present as he pulled the slack out of the wire, pulling himself up the creature. It wasn’t exactly speedy, but William knew Fox could handle the attention for the creature. Velvet dangled below him, her feet skirting the ground.

The tension in his hand was killing him, his fingers and wrist turning purple as the wires dug into his skin.

He just hand to last long enough to pull himself up.

It didn’t last that long.

The creature shifted, throwing it’s weight to one side and then the other, towards Fox. William threw slack into the line, letting gravity pull them back to the ground as it rolled over. William strained, his muscles going tense as he swung Velvet away before they crashed to the ground.

Dust was in the air, and he wasn’t sure if Fox was crushed underneath the beast or not, but now was his chance.

“Velvet!” He barked, clawing to his feet as he rushed to the beast’s side. “Let's go!”

“Coming!”

She was behind, lagging slowly, but William could catch her if need be. He stepped up onto its underbelly, pivoted and ran diagonally across its body for its face. The tree was in the way now, but William knew if it rolled back to it’s feet it would sweep around to the right, away from them.

He felt its weight shift again, torque in its shoulders that rolled through the rest of it’s body. It was rolling again, the opposite way William had planned. He swore. He couldn’t run fast enough to keep clear if it did, and he couldn’t slide under the tree and keep that speed even if he could. Then there was Velvet.

Too much weight. He’d had to swing it.

“Go right!” William yelled, sending threads around her as he constructed a harness around her slender frame. He sent wires out to loop around the trees on that side, pulling the tension tight. He only had a few seconds.

The tree swung for his head. He slide, pulling his wires to keep Velvet ahead of the spin. He wrapped a wire around the tree, anchoring himself to it. Branches cut into his fore arms as he whipped around. He had to let Velvet’s wires go slack, or else he’d tangle her up in a hopeless mess.

When the world stopped spinning, he was on the right side of the beast, clinging to the tree trunk. Velvet dangled off the side of it’s neck, his wires tangled on the far side, keeping her suspended as she tried to get a grip on the slick scales.

She needed help first.

William shifted his wires to his right hand, freeing his left hand. He cast out another set of wires, sending them around the Drake’s neck, connecting them to Velvet’s harness. He cancel the wires in his right hand, Velvet’s weight transferring back to his hand. The wires bit into his fingers, but he flexed and pulled, drawing the wires in.

“Keep steady!” He called, eyeing the Drake as one of its red eyes stared at him. William smiled.

It’s head whipped around, snapping the tree around to shake him off. William let go, falling for a moment, branches clawing his clothes before he looped a wire around the other end of the tree. His arm jerked, nearly wrenched out of socket.

He whipped around, letting go of the wires again. He shot away into the forest, his semblance going out again. They wrapped around a tree, his harness condensing into a belt. He whipped around the tree, cutting the connection as he swung back around.

William tumbled through the air, orienting himself just before impact. He straightened his legs, angling his heels forward in a practiced maneuver. The steel plate smashed into the Drake’s right eye. One heel sunk in, a mixture of red pulp and black miasma erupting out of the ruptured organ.

William looped his semblance around its head as he nodded at Velvet, who had moved around to the other side, partly because he drew her harness back to urge her over, partly out of her own instinct.

Her harness vanished, William needing that Aura for other things. Velvet couldn’t perform otherwise anyway. The beast shook, leaning back and roaring. It’s head snapped up, shaking it back and forth to throw William off. Velvet had to move now.

“Go for the eye!” He called.

“Roger!” Her voice was crisp, clean cut and dark. Something was different. William could feel it.

He saw her out of the corner of his eyes, charging up it’s back, her left hand clenched around the wire outline of a sword. William felt his stomach twist as he recognized the design, he nearly dropped. Instead he pried his leg out of the eye socket, adjusting his wires as Velvet crested it’s neck, jumping up.

Faunus abilities gave her impressive height. Momentum added to it, coupling that with her Rabbit heritage, as well as her well muscles quads and calfs, and William wasn’t surprised she arched up.

His semblance wrapped around her, wires around her waist, looping over and under the beast’s head. William dropped, kicking out towards the ground. Velvet jerked down. He had calculated right, his wires would guide her.

The beast roared in response, shaking its head violently and roaring, the tree coming tumbling out of it’s maw as it screeched. William shifted his wires as Velvet fell off it’s head, the wire sword missing. He pulled her to him as they fell the short distance. They landed together, William on his knees, Velvet on her feet.

William rolled to his feet, reaching out and grabbing her wrist and throwing her forward as the rampage started.

“Pull the Bullhead up!” William screamed, diving out of the way as rage and pain took control of the Drake. “It’s going to rampage!”

William knew what destruction a rampaging Drake could cause. He’d seen the aftermath of half of one. He didn’t want to see anyone caught up in a full Drake’s rampage.

It’s limbs slapped on the ground, tearing clods of dirt, roots, rock and anything else caught in it’s claws up and throwing it around. William dove, between its forepaws and under its belly. He dove to the side, hitting the ground and sliding underneath the next leg, the claws narrowly missing him.

The Drake threw itself to one side, smashing into the trees on that side. Two of them fell over, the others were left tilted, half the roots ripped right out of the ground. It bounced back, throwing its bulk towards William now. He ran, casting out wires. It would be close. The beast hit him, it’s bulky side would have flattened him against the ground if William hadn’t pulled himself forward.

As it was he went skidding, flipping end over end on the forest floor. He shielded his head with his arms, curling up after the second tumble and ending in a ball lying on the ground over a dozen meters away.

He grimaced, feeling his body throb with the impacts. Nothing broken. He slowly pulled himself up to his hands and knees, looking over at the Drake.

Both eyes were gone, one a dripping pulp, the other slashed open. It poured black miasma out of both, clearly in too much pain to care about CFVY or William. It was thrashing, throwing its limbs about and knocking into trees. The Bullhead had moved to the other side of the clearing and CFVY was loading up. Coco was running for him, her weapon back in its tote.

William got to his feet, breaking out in a fast jog as he rushed to meet her. He was more than eager to leave the Drake where it was. William had no desire to kill a beast of that size, not when he knew what it took to kill one a fraction of it’s size.

“Get moving!” Coco barked. “I don’t want us to be anywhere near that when it recovers!”

William picked up his pace, meeting her and racing back to the Bullhead. He pulled ahead, but turned to look back.

The Drake had stilled.

It took him a moment to figure out why. Enough time for Coco to pass him and jump onto the waiting cargo bay. Enough time for the pilot to start the engines again.

Drakes were lesser Dragons. Without wings, and without the firey breath that their cousin Grim were so famous for. Instead, they had a very different type of attack to substitute.

“GET THE BULLHEAD IN THE AIR!” William roared, his eyes scanning the clearing for anything to anchor off of. It wouldn’t need to hold for long. Just long enough. He unfolded Moonlight Sonata.

A strong arm grabbed his collar, hoisting him up into the cargo bay. He didn’t pay it any mind as he drew the bow back, two arrows on the string.

The sound reverberated through the air. Like a mucus clog in someone’s throat, and they were trying to cough it up. Except that someone was a two story tall Drake, and that something, William knew, was highly corrosive acid that doubled as digestive fluid.

He fired.

Both arrows missed the Drake completely, but the wire looped between them snagged the Grim’s snout, causing it to jerk back. The arrows hit, a far tree that still stood, hanging on by the edges of it’s root system. William gave the line slack.

“Hurry!” He urged the pilot as they climbed.

Grim sensed Aura. They were drawn to it. They could feel it even without eyes. And at the moment, the Bullhead was full of Aura. It would be hard for any Grim to miss, even a blinded Drake.

“William?” Velvet asked.

“What’s it doing?” That was Fox, his hearing only giving him so much.

William concentrated, focusing on the arrows. He uncoiled them, letting the Aura that was so tightly ravelled come apart and tangle around the tree, looping around it and weaving into its bark and roots.

“William.” Coco said, dangerously low.

“William.”

The cough turned into a gurgling sound, and now William could see it. Thick purple sludge, bubbling and hissing against the air. Not yet.

“Fire another!” Velvet.

Another wire would complicate the mix, adding additional forces that could counter each other, creating a stalemate the Drake could resist. William didn’t need a sustained force. He just needed a moment, one singular moment of pull.

“Pilot, angle back.” William ordered, his eyes never leaving the Drake.

There was hesitation. Then the Bullhead tilted back.

“On my order, drop back, and put full power into a reverse thrust. You’re going to duck backwards. Understand?” William explained carefully. It wasn’t just his life that hinged on this trick.

The gurgling stopped. The Drake balanced, arching its back up, feeling their position rather than seeing it. It pushed it’s head up, tilting back for angle. William waited, slowly drawing the slack out of the wire so it kept in contact with the Drake’s open mouth.

William saw the muscles flex, the auxiliary muscles in the jaw. The bunching of its cheek muscles and the ripple in its throat as it started to roar, spewing it’s gathered corruption into the air.

The wire snapped tight, the anchors jerking towards the Drake from the force. It’s head snapped to the side, acid sloshing out of it’s mouth as the roar turned into a squeal. The acid exploded out, coating the trees and launching into the air.

“Now!” William snapped.

The Drake pulled free, letting out the rest of it’s attack in one thick glob that shot into the air at them. The Bullhead dropped, engines shifting and firing backwards. They jerked backwards, tilting up at a forty-five as the engines pushed them.

William was steady on his feet, reaching up and placing a hand on the floor. The others hit the cargo bay floor with a hard slam. William’s eyes were still on the Drake as it shook itself.

The acid splashed in front of the cockpit, missing them by a foot. It landed in the forest below, dousing the trees. Immediately they turned yellow, then fading to black and ash as they fell apart.

“Go.” William instructed. The Drake couldn’t draw up anymore acid quick enough to hit them. “And gain height quickly while you’re at it.”

The Bullhead whined as the engines oriented, then picked up speed, leaving the clearing behind them and the Elder Drake to its own business.

William’s gaze lingered on the clearing and the Grim until it was out of sight. Then he collapsed, letting his feet hang over the edge as he rested on his rear. He tilted his head back, exhaling slowly.

Fox was staring at him. The others had taken up seats, casting a fleeting glance at him, but seeming content with sitting in silence for a time. Fox patted the space next to him on the bench, inviting him. William rose, then sat down. The cargo doors closed a bit after, sealing them off from the wind and giving them rest.

“Coffee or tea?” Coco asked when the silence seemed complete, excluding the dull whine of the engines that slowly faded away into white noise.

“Tea.” Yatsu and Velvet chimed in union.

“The usual.” Fox replied, giving her a small smile.

Coco turned her gaze to William as she set up her small portable brewing machine. She set it up for tea, pulling mugs out for all of them.

“William?” She prompted.

“Coffee.” He finally said, examining her as she worked. She had relaxed. Finally out of the field, with her team safe, the tension had eased from her shoulders.

The tea brewed first and Velvet and Yatsuhashi got their mugs first because of that. They sipped the drink slowly, taking time to taste the flavor and depth. Coco started on the coffee, letting it brew and boil. She gave Fox and William a cup first before making herself a cup. William let her add cream and sugar to his before she handed it over.

He took it, feeling the warmth sink into his hands, soothing his joints and the strained digits.

“So you knew what that was.” Fox stated.

William took a long quaff of his drink, letting the caffeine put life back into his bones before he answered.

“I do. Do you not recognize it?”

“A Drake is a very rare Grim. They aren’t regularly seen to any degree. Yet you recognized it while it wasn’t fully in sight. Points to you having seen one before.”

“I’ve never seen a living creature like that before if that’s what you’re talking about.” William replied. “But if it’s so unusual, then perhaps I took interest in it when a lecture note or a book mentioned it.”

“Of course.” Fox replied, turning back to his coffee and letting the topic drop.

William nursed his coffee until Beacon was back in sight. He felt his stomach sink, his coffee suddenly seeming appealing. He finished the cup anyway, setting it on the next to Coco’s finished cup as he looked through the cockpit at the approaching school.

“So is this it?” He asked, directing the question to Coco.

She hummed, looking up from her scroll. “Come again?”

“This it for us? Just going to ditch me and run?” William asked, feeling the playful smirk work its way out and onto his lips. “Couldn’t handle me?”

Coco smiled back, a pleasant expression, but it held a determined aura on her lips. “Oh no little wolfie. We’re not done with you yet.” She winked at him. “You won’t escape from me that easily my little Alpha.”

“Alpha?” William asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Of course. The Alpha of the pack. You don’t take orders well. Much more suited to issue them. You can handle orders, but operating as you do, you understand enough about the battlefield to be a leader. Ozpin likely thinks the same.” Coco replied. “And yes. Alpha. That’s your pet name William.”

“We’ll just have to see about that then. I don’t think Ozpin will give me a team yet.” William replied.

“I beg to differ. You’re more than qualified.” Fox shot back, setting his mug next to the others. “You deserve a team, regardless of whether you think so or not. You have your faults, but they aren’t in combat.”

William hummed, choosing to let that topic slip away instead of addressing it. He wasn’t about to get into an argument on his mental state in an enclosed Bullhead. Instead he shrugged and got up. The Bullhead was almost there anyway.

The ship slowed to a halt, spiraling down to land on the pad. The cargo bay door opened and William was the first out, grabbing his duffle bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Eager to run wolf?” Coco asked.

“Hardly.” William replied. “But it does no harm in regrouping. You’re a bit to difficult for me to shrug off Coco.” He informed her, casting his gaze back at her.

She stood confidently, her hip cocked, her smirk revealing her mood. William wanted to crush it. He wanted to tear that expression off her lips with a dozen cruel words about her past that he had gleaned just from her posture. How she wore long sleeves to cover her scars, how she wore glasses to hide her fear. How she was neglected as a child so she chose to wear heels and walk with confidence to stand out. How she cocked her hips to the left, but caught her belt, keeping her weight on it instead of the femur because when she was leaning to pose it had been bruised.

William smirked. “Careful Adel. I do bite, even people that I like.”

“I’ll take that as a complement.” She replied instead, taking it all in stride, just as she had been taught and how she had learned.

William left CFVY, heading to his room. He needed to unwind, calm down and call Roman. He had a combat report to file on CFVY anyway, and he would need a hot shower to ease the aches and bruises. His leg was another matter, the cut from before had sealed, an easy treatment when William could stitch it up and tighten it whenever it was needed, but it needed to be cleaned properly.

He glanced back, finding that Coco and Fox had been swallowed up in a growing crowd of people. Seems team CFVY was rather well-known. He would have to make a note of that, they worked well, they could be a top team despite their flaws.

The dorms were quiet, no doubt because of classes and other activities. Training seemed to happen for most of the day at Beacon, but lagged during the nights. Students needed their sleep apparently, but Roman never followed that line of thinking.

He swiped his scroll. The device was dead, battery drained, but the security still worked on it. The reader on his door lit up, yellow, then green. He pushed the door open, walking in and letting out a heavy sigh as he dropped the duffle by the door.

He stepped into the bedrooms, then paused. An additional bag on the opposite bed. The faint smells of sage, lavender and undertones of jasmine. Someone in his room. Female. He heard the bathroom door handle jiggle as someone reached for it, opening it up from within.

She walked out, looking at him with surprise. He was even more shocked, his seagreen eyes diving into her violet eyes. He’d seen them before, where? He couldn’t be sure. He didn’t need to jump to conclusions and assume anything. She just had purple eyes. Plenty of people had purple eyes.

“Oh. You must be William.” The girl said, extending her hand.

William took it, squeezing. She matched his strength, and William turned her hand over, taking his hand out of hers to look at the callouses on her palms and fingers. Weapon user, but her fingers had callouses on the tips as well, unusual, since most musicians had them in those places.

“I’m Victoria.” She introduced herself, meeting his eyes and giving him a small half hearted smile. “Victoria Violet.”


End file.
